Buying a house in D15, location or space?

daymobrew

jekin wrote: »

I take this as those houses were built around 2002. Didn't know the price has fallen lower than 2002 level, sorry about that.

I bought 2nd hand, hence the high price. House was built 1999. Maybe the price drop is not so significant - I saw a 4br semi-d in Riverwood on Myhome for 310k.

Doesn't bother me that it is 30k less than I paid as I am not planning to move.

chucknorris

daymobrew wrote: »

I bought 2nd hand, hence the high price. House was built 1999. Maybe the price drop is not so significant - I saw a 4br semi-d in Riverwood on Myhome for 310k.

Doesn't bother me that it is 30k less than I paid as I am not planning to move.

You could probably knock 25k off any asking price in D15.

All things considered, it's about time the price of a house/home is now becoming realistic no matter where your preferred choice is.

joolsveer

jekin wrote: »

No offense for not looking at the areas you grew up, there are nice areas to the north as well...just there are too much content in the thread "anti-social behaviors in D15". One main reason I'd prefer to buy in Castleknock is because it has got many good schools - well, getting kids in is another thing. I drive as well - living in suburb and not driving is impossible for Ireland, but I'd like to have alternatives. Clonsila and B'town should have similar access to buses and train AFIK, not sure why you say B'town is closer and better...............................

Off the top of my head I can think of three primary schools in Castleknock and one male only secondary school. Are there others? What happens if you have daughters when it comes time for secondary school?

are you serious

there is mount sackville aswel, just around the corner from the all male one just in case he has only girls

oblivious

are you serious wrote: »

there is mount sackville aswel, just around the corner from the all male one just in case he has only girls

Both are fee paying though

ozmo

jekin wrote: »

Hi all,

I have a few candidate areas in mind, here is my list:
1. Riverwood or Luttrellstown near Coolmine station.
2. Charnwood or Castlefield in Clonsila.
3. Lohunda in Clonsila.

Castlefield is nice - almost ever house looks onto a big green and is looks very well kept. I've been in a few and the houses are well built. They have access to the primary school just across the road.

This map might help also:

http://airomaps.nuim.ie/flexviewer/?config=AIDepIndex.xml

are you serious

ozmo, who came up with that map???

Morag

I wonder what data sets they are using.

are you serious

it doesn't make much sense, some estates are being cut up, you'd have thought a whole estate would be divided from another but not one estate being divided up, surely its a load of baloney!!

Morag

That just means it's not house prices being used as the data set.

Gaspode

OP, I wouldn't pay too much attention to that map, it's a tad flawed. For everyone else, further discussion of it is not really on-topic so let's leave it there thanks.

yoda2001

The OP mentions the schools in Castleknock with a sense of wonderment. Is he talking about St Patricks? St Brigid's? Scoil Thomais? Castleknock NS?

If so then the best thing to do is ring the school secretary and ask if there is a catchment area. Another question would be how many children were refused places in the school for September.

St Mochta's is an excellent school near Castlefield.

As for secondary schools you can go fee paying as already mentioned to Castleknock College or Mount Sackville. Again I would ring them about enroling.

Finally there is Castleknock Community College and Luttrellstown Community College. CCC has been in operation since about 1996 while LCC opened in recent years. A phonecall to either college or info on the websites will tell you more about enrolment policies. Both are run by Co Dublin VEC.

ozmo

Gaspode wrote: »

OP, I wouldn't pay too much attention to that map, it's a tad flawed. For everyone else, further discussion of it is not really on-topic so let's leave it there thanks.

Ok so, just thought it might be of interest to OP - picture paints a thousand words etc. - Ill start a new thread on it - Its a government agency funded map, part of a series of maps they are doing - so its legit source (the Census returns) and so based on real data - Ill post all the links to the maps in the new thread and ye can determine their merits there.

edit: new thread here

oblivious

yoda2001 wrote: »

St Mochta's is an excellent school near Castlefield. .

It maybe near but its not in their parish boundary's unfortunately, but siblings rule would still apply though.


See the list of estate that are in St Mochta's parish

http://www.stmochtas.ie/forms.htm

joolsveer

are you serious wrote: »

there is mount sackville aswel, just around the corner from the all male one just in case he has only girls

I don't think it is in Castleknock - the web site says Chapelizod.
http://www.mountsackville.ie/pages/about-mount-sackville/

are you serious

Ya learn something new every day (for me I learned this)

BostonB

Different schools have difference policies and the demand for different schools varies enormously. So as others have said you need to look at that on a case by case basis. Be aware that getting information on the demand, is quite tricky as some schools do not want people second guessing changes to their enrolment and catchment policies. Even you do get some indication, its very likely the school may change the policy the following year, leaving you out of the catchment. In some case you have less chance of getting into a school the closer you are to it. Its catchment maybe on the otherside of D15. Some require you to be resident for 10yrs+. So theres very little way of planning ahead for many schools. In some cases one road gets in the next doesn't.

Only were there is low demand and spare capacity could you be a little be certain of getting in.

BostonB

Location is all important.

After that is build quality. Its a mixed bad. Many of the newer houses are brutal quality. While many of the older houses may be quite outdated. As such I'd make no assumptions there. Get everything checked in excruciating detail by professionals. Get a engineers report, and get the electrics, plumbing, heating, insulation, windows, roofs all checked by people who'll stand over any report.

Don't assume you can convert an attic. Many newer houses have double hipped truss roofs where it would be very expensive to convert the attic. So get a professional report on this.

jekin

Thanks BostonB, I found it's a mess for catchment area in D15. For example, Limelawn is just cross road to St Motchars but it's not in the catchement are, and Riverwood has been excluded from Castleknock Community College...

For Attatic conversion, if the engineer says it's too expensive to do, I don't know if I can tell the estate agent I don't want to buy the house anymore.

jekin

ozmo wrote: »

Castlefield is nice - almost ever house looks onto a big green and is looks very well kept. I've been in a few and the houses are well built. They have access to the primary school just across the road.

Caslefield has big green area with mature woods.

There aren't many houses for sale in Castlefield but I have viewed a few houses in Charnwood, they are nice and big. However, I found there are too many cars parked along the streets, looks a bit crowded in the area.

jekin

daymobrew wrote: »

I bought 2nd hand, hence the high price. House was built 1999. Maybe the price drop is not so significant - I saw a 4br semi-d in Riverwood on Myhome for 310k.

Doesn't bother me that it is 30k less than I paid as I am not planning to move.

I just viewed a 4 bed semi-d house in Riverwood, very nice. I am surprised to see how bigger 4 bed is than 3 bed in the same are. The house is very close to train track thus really noisy when train passes.

daymobrew

jekin wrote: »

The house is very close to train track thus really noisy when train passes.

You would soon tune that out.

yoda2001

Daymobrew is right. The noise from the trains is very temporary. You won't hear it after a while. The benefits of being near the train are away greater than the disadvantages. As well as that there are no heavy goods trains anymore. Most are quiet enough and stopping at all stations so they are not thundering by.

jekin

yoda2001 wrote: »

Daymobrew is right. The noise from the trains is very temporary. You won't hear it after a while. The benefits of being near the train are away greater than the disadvantages. As well as that there are no heavy goods trains anymore. Most are quiet enough and stopping at all stations so they are not thundering by.

You are right those trains are not too noisy. I found Riverwood really close to Coolmine station, just 5 mins walk generally. But the size of 3 bed house really disappoints me, less than 1000 sq ft (93 sq metres).

BostonB

Theres a 3 styles of the 3 bed house. I think they range in size from just under 1000sq ft to 1190. The two smaller ones have a combined dinning room and kitchen one having an extension of this at the back. The larger one has a more tradition layout separate kitchen and dinning room. I'm not sure if the trains would bother me, it hasn't anywhere else I've been beside one. But I've not lived that close to that line. Other than that I think its a great location, but the build quality of those houses is poor. If the previous owner did a lot of DIY then they may have fixed/improved a lot of things. That said there isn't many affordable houses for sale in that specific area. There is in the wider area, but around there moving half a mile make a big difference in the quality of the area, and traffic. Being close to bus and train is also very important.

daymobrew

BostonB wrote: »

Other than that I think its a great location, but the build quality of those houses is poor.

The plasterboard in my Riverwood 4 bed room house is pathetic, but the sound insulation is good - I barely hear anything from the adjoining house (except chairs dragged across the wooden floor, but no voices or TV sounds).

dee99

Regarding schools, some people have gotten it into their heads that no school comes close to the ones in Castleknock, my mam was the same. My daughter started school last year and I tried to get her into Brigids in Castleknock (I live in Blanchardstown village area) but she didnt get a place. She ended up going to Xaviers in Roselawn and I couldnt say one bad thing about the school, teachers are lovely, small classes and all the other kids in her class are lovely too. IMO its best to send your child to school in the area they live, its easier for getting them to and from school and its good that they're close to their school friends too. If you want your kids to go to school in Castleknock that is a big reason why you should pick the smaller house in Castleknock.

BostonB

Being in Castleknock is no guarantee of getting into the local Castleknock schools. Be careful about assuming that. You need to check each schools admission policy and catchment. Some schools have 10yrs+ residency criteria some have none its simply when your name goes on the list.

dee99

Oh I know that, but you would have a better chance. I was more making the point that there is other really good schools around Dublin 15 that consideration should be given to.

BostonB

daymobrew wrote: »

The plasterboard in my Riverwood 4 bed room house is pathetic, but the sound insulation is good - I barely hear anything from the adjoining house (except chairs dragged across the wooden floor, but no voices or TV sounds).

+1 on the plasterboard.