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Affordable House - don't want it anymore.

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    #62
    marathonic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,668 ✭✭✭marathonic


    I see a lot of discussion about the size of apartments. What exactly is the problem with a small apartment? If you're looking to pay less for an apartment, it shouldn't matter that the sitting-room and living room is smaller than average. What should matter is the number of single and double bedrooms you have. This is especially true in the case of affordable housing provided to those who cannot afford to purchase on their own.

    Regarding the local authorities allowing those who received an affordable home to hand back the keys and forget about it, there'd be mass uproar if this happened. Also, regarding them having a shortage of property, if they had the funds to purchase properties, why would they not just purchase on the open market as opposed to writing off €150k debts on €100k apartments?


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    #63
    The_Morrigan
    Registered Users Posts: 9,368 ✭✭✭The_Morrigan


    marathonic wrote: »
    I see a lot of discussion about the size of apartments. What exactly is the problem with a small apartment? If you're looking to pay less for an apartment, it shouldn't matter that the sitting-room and living room is smaller than average. What should matter is the number of single and double bedrooms you have. This is especially true in the case of affordable housing provided to those who cannot afford to purchase on their own.

    Regarding the local authorities allowing those who received an affordable home to hand back the keys and forget about it, there'd be mass uproar if this happened. Also, regarding them having a shortage of property, if they had the funds to purchase properties, why would they not just purchase on the open market as opposed to writing off €150k debts on €100k apartments?

    From viewing affordable apts, they would advertise two double rooms - one being a master, but oftentimes it was a small double (rather than a master) and a single room.
    This doesn't really give a person room to grow and I'm a firm believer that property is not a short term investment as a home.


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    #64
    marathonic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,668 ✭✭✭marathonic


    The_Morrigan wrote: »
    From viewing affordable apts, they would advertise two double rooms - one being a master, but oftentimes it was a small double (rather than a master) and a single room.
    This doesn't really give a person room to grow and I'm a firm believer that property is not a short term investment as a home.

    I agree that property shouldn't be a short-term investment given the transaction costs involved in moving.

    However, there are plenty of people who have no intention of having children, some of whom have taken action to make sure it doesn't happen. For such people, 1-bedroom apartments do have a place, regardless of size. They may be unable to afford a large apartment and be happier having a small living room and kitchen in the city center than facing a daily commute.

    For young people looking to make their first step onto the property ladder, they're obviously much better moving to a terraced property in a commuter town than looking at these small apartments in the city centre.


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    #65
    ted1
    Registered Users Posts: 23,524 ✭✭✭✭ted1


    marathonic wrote: »

    For young people looking to make their first step onto the property ladder, they're obviously much better moving to a terraced property in a commuter town than looking at these small apartments in the city centre.

    That's nonsense.

    young people are not better off living in a commuter town. why would they want to spend their time commuting. there is other alternatives.

    I know people who have moved to Arklow and Newbridge, none are happy, they are spending a fortune on petrol/diesel going between the two and their social life has gone severely downhill.


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    #66
    OldNotWIse
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,468 ✭✭✭✭OldNotWIse


    ted1 wrote: »
    That's nonsense.

    young people are not better off living in a commuter town. why would they want to spend their time commuting. there is other alternatives.

    I know people who have moved to Arklow and Newbridge, none are happy, they are spending a fortune on petrol/diesel going between the two and their social life has gone severely downhill.


    It depends on the person. Me and the OH are in a city centre apt at the moment and actually feel like caged animals. I would happily travel an hour or more in the morning if it meant I didnt hear the guy upstairs peeing, the neighbours to the left having bi-weekly seven second sex at seven and the neighbours moronic primates kids swinging off our balcony. I would never, ever, ever mortgage myself into a box like that.


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    #67
    marathonic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,668 ✭✭✭marathonic


    ted1 wrote: »
    That's nonsense.

    young people are not better off living in a commuter town. why would they want to spend their time commuting. there is other alternatives.

    I know people who have moved to Arklow and Newbridge, none are happy, they are spending a fortune on petrol/diesel going between the two and their social life has gone severely downhill.

    If a young person is looking to buy, I would argue that they are better moving to a commuter town than to buy a small apartment in the city center and, potentially, face the same crisis facing many couples starting a family in such apartments today.

    Obviously, there are other options such as renting the apartment. However, my post only refers to a purchase in a commuter town being a better option than the purchase of a small city apartment for a young person.

    If you don't agree with this, then we'll just have to agree to disagree.


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    #68
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,285 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    ted1 wrote: »
    That's nonsense.

    young people are not better off living in a commuter town. why would they want to spend their time commuting. there is other alternatives.

    I know people who have moved to Arklow and Newbridge, none are happy, they are spending a fortune on petrol/diesel going between the two and their social life has gone severely downhill.

    It really does depend on the person- I bought in a commuter town long before prices got totally out of hand- in the late 90s. I willingly commuted into Dublin- averaging 3 hours in the car a day- worse in bad weather- less if my then partner and I worked late to let rush-hour traffic die down.

    Over time- I forewent a promotion- in exchange for a move to a location not far from home.

    Our current duplex- is crampled, and not entirely suitable for children, nevertheless, we have a wonderful soon to be 3 year old and 4 year old, who are happy to call it home- and actually consider the location great now (even if the property itself is crampled). For over a decade I cursed the commute- but circumstances do change- and what may be hell on earth may overtime evolve into something that works very well for you.

    If you hate the area- and you're buying a property that is unsuitable from the outset, and you can't see any future upside- then you have an intractable problem, the only answer to which is to move on and look elsewhere.

    The mistake many people made during the boom years- was assuming that they could buy a piece of crap apartment in the middle of nowhere- and somehow- down the line, it would be the leverage they need to actually live where they want to live, in the manner in which they hope to live.

    We were willing to look outside the box to a certain extent- as despite the fact that we both work- we both have long term illnesses and conditions that mean financial gain is not our be-all and end-all. Where we are 15 years later- is in a nice duplex, in a good location, with jobs nearby and two happy children. Had we made other choices- we could be in considerably more senior positions in work, on better pay, with more holidays. Life is a game of choices- and navel gazing and wondering about the 'what-ifs'- is a fools game.


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    #69
    shaddupayaface
    Registered Users Posts: 115 ✭✭shaddupayaface


    podge018 wrote: »
    I don't feel hard done by, I explicitly stated this. I used a sentence previously in the thread of what I could go to them whinging about but it's not me or how I feel. I said "that it was my decision and I've learned a lesson".



    I understand it very well thanks but there's no need to add anything further because I can tell you're hurting bad over the loss you took and your input so far reeks of sour grapes.




    And I'll get the other 50%, that's an upside. Don't worry, I'll sell it long before then, as soon as the market price is nearer what I owe, which isn't too far away actually as both figures continue to move in opposite directions.

    Podge, just wondering did you ever sell and if so, how did it work out?


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