Location, location -Maynooth V Celbridge V Leixlip

yellow hen

Hi Moonbeam,

Name is down for catholic school and Educate Together (Gaelscoil wouldn't be our preference). Going to see a house in Beaufield on Sat, it isn't what we're looking for but i'm open to being convinced. Accessibility to the train is very attractive. Is Beaufield a heavily rented estate do you know?

Funny, we drove in around Silken Vale and I didnt particularly like it at all. Rockfield, particularly the bungalows, would be ideal.

Moonbeam

We were not taken by Beaufield despite some of the houses being very nice.
It was full of students 5 years ago when we were house hunting and we really did not want that but I think it depends on which road there too.

Meadowbrook is mixed too,it is full of students but there are a lot of families there too and the houses are nice but not huge.

Kingsbry is also worth a look.

mloc123

Moonbeam wrote: »

Kingsbry is also worth a look.

It must have the highest percentage of students living in it?

Dolbert

We're living just opposite Beaufield and the location is ideal. Only a 10 minute walk to the train and you're on the right side of the town for the motorway. Our estate is very quiet, but I don't live in Beaufield itself so can't comment on that.

Moonbeam

mloc123 wrote: »

It must have the highest percentage of students living in it?

tbh I have no idea. I only know families living there and there are nice green areas for the kids to play.

wirelessdude01

yellow hen wrote: »

Funny, we drove in around Silken Vale and I didnt particularly like it at all.

What didn't you like about Silken Vale? I live here and houses for sale in here are like hens teeth. Very rarely come to market and are highly sought after. Estate is really quiet, very few student houses and the few that are here seem to be quiet.

When I bought I looked at the Beaufield/MeadoBrook area and the % of student/badly maintained houses totally put me off the area. I know people living in that general area and they seem to like it but for me you get what you pay for in a better maintained/looking estate.

Staplor

My bro is in Kingsbry his kids love it, there'd be mutiny if they moved.

yellow hen

@wirelessdude I'm sorry, I certainly don't want to be rude about people's homes/estates, particularly when I. Know very little about the area. To explainyslf a little, I felt the cul de sac with the semi d's were very tightly packed. It was just a little too claustrophobic for what we'd want. The dormers (or maybe there were 2 story, I forget) looked lovely but was there pylons or something in front of them?
I know very little about beaufield but I do like the tree lined avenues with the houses slightly recessed.i might completely change my mindin that after sat.

At this moment in time, we would be delighted to buy a house (at the right price!) anywhere in Maynooth. The more we visit, the more we're sure that this is where we want to settle.

Sorry for shocking typing... On phone!

Moonbeam

It is a very nice place to live and when you do need to escape it has easy access to the M50,M4 and M7 which makes it even better:)

yellow hen

Moonbeam wrote: »

It is a very nice place to live and when you do need to escape it has easy access to the M50,M4 and M7 which makes it even better:)

I need no convincing! It just speaks to us. Last day we went down, we just went and sat on the lawn in the seminary... Utter bliss! Cross your fingers for us!

yellow hen

So we went to see beaufield today only the EA failed to show up. Anyway, we drove around and there looked to be quite a few rented house. Is it foolish to expect otherwise in a university town?

Also, the estate was a bit unkempt. Does anyone know is there's a maintenance co or who up keeps the estate?

L1011

yellow hen wrote: »

So we went to see beaufield today only the EA failed to show up. Anyway, we drove around and there looked to be quite a few rented house. Is it foolish to expect otherwise in a university town?

Also, the estate was a bit unkempt. Does anyone know is there's a maintenance co or who up keeps the estate?

All older estates in Maynooth have student houses, you are not going to avoid them unless you go to an newer (for now) or far dearer estate.

As far as I know, no established estate in Maynooth has a management company for the houses - residents association and the council are all there is for common areas. Houses and their gardens are entirely on the owner as there's usally no covenants either.

I'd lay money as to which specific EA it was who didn't show, there's one who has a habit of forgetting their weekend calls!

yellow hen

L1011 wrote: »

All older estates in Maynooth have student houses, you are not going to avoid them unless you go to an newer (for now) or far dearer estate.

As far as I know, no established estate in Maynooth has a management company for the houses - residents association and the council are all there is for common areas. Houses and their gardens are entirely on the owner as there's usally no covenants either.

I'd lay money as to which specific EA it was who didn't show, there's one who has a habit of forgetting their weekend calls!

I think it was the first weekend that this particular house was going to be shown but there were no other viewers there at all. Everyone else must have got a phone call. Really unimpressed as we don't live that nearby.

I like the general beaufield area and for the location, it offers great value for money but I was quite disappointed by how run down it was. Some of the estates were missing road signage etc.

L1011

Signage there would have been put up by the developers over 20 years ago and is fairly dear to replace. Kingsbry (my parents estate) residents association saved their council grants for a few years to put up internal signs which are a huge help to couriers etc - and my parents who live next door to an inexplicably numbered house and used to get countless knocks from lost delivery men.

If its the EA I assume it is a phone call rouses them, but it is horribly unprofessional.

yellow hen

Thanks for the reply. People power is amazing but I'm not sure I'm the person who can light that spark. I'd love to think that I could mobilise people into caring for the area that they live in but I know that's just fanciful. (I just watched someone walk past our house and let their Alsatian do the biggest poo right outside our gate. You can't change people who just don't care)

BaronVon

I wouldn't get too hung up on the amount of rented houses. I bought in Leixlip in 2008 and, out of 19 houses in the cul de sac, 11 were rented. Now, only 2 are rented, and all the other renters werre replaced by young families.

An estate can change quickly either way, not too much you can do about it......

mirrorwall14

I've lived in maynooth through college and for three years afterwards while working in dundrum. I now live in celbridge for the last four years and commute to leixlip the one thing I will say about maynooth is that traffic is absolutely ridiculous most of the time. I live on the outskirts of the maynooth side of celbridge and do most of my socialising in maynooth. When I had rehearsals in the community space in manor mills at 7 it would take up to 45minutes to get there no matter what route I took to it. When rehearsals moved to tesco in maynooth it took just 15. If you want to commute nake sure you are on the m4 side of down or you will significantly add to your commute.

yellow hen

infacteh wrote: »

I wouldn't get too hung up on the amount of rented houses. I bought in Leixlip in 2008 and, out of 19 houses in the cul de sac, 11 were rented. Now, only 2 are rented, and all the other renters werre replaced by young families.

An estate can change quickly either way, not too much you can do about it......

You're right. I suppose it's just something we'll have to get used to. Does anyone get any night time bother from the students?

@mirrorwall, I'm aware of the traffic problems but thanks for commenting. We're hoping to buy towards the m4 alright. We briefly looked at moyglare but that was one of the reasons we decided it wasn't right.

Moonbeam

We have no student houses on our road so we rarely notice them.
FInd a house that suits all your needs and then once you are in the part of the town you want to be in then go for it.
We couldn't get the exact house that we wanted so we checked out how hard extending would be and as most of the neighbours have extended there should be no issue.
If you are buying an older house it is worth paying a surveyor to give it a once over,there were 2 serious issues(water and electricity) with our house but they were easily rectified but cost a lot so we used that to help negotiate price.

yellow hen

Moonbeam wrote: »

We have no student houses on our road so we rarely notice them.
FInd a house that suits all your needs and then once you are in the part of the town you want to be in then go for it.
We couldn't get the exact house that we wanted so we checked out how hard extending would be and as most of the neighbours have extended there should be no issue.
If you are buying an older house it is worth paying a surveyor to give it a once over,there were 2 serious issues(water and electricity) with our house but they were easily rectified but cost a lot so we used that to help negotiate price.

We've already bought the old house with lots of problems so we would definitely be getting a surveyor. We haven't seen the inside of this house yet but location works and house dimensions look like it could potentially work. The price definitely works and will give us that capacity to renovate to what we want. Hopefully our own house will go on the market within the month. I am full of butterflies thinking about it!

Oh, I called the EA this morning and apparently Saturdays appointment was cancelled and everyone was called. They were actually quite rude, almost saying that I was wrong and I couldn't have been on the list?! Unbelievably unprofessional. Haven't they yet learned that today's buyers are tomorrows sellers?

Moonbeam

*sigh* That is really unprofessional.
Also remember with the more expensive houses that asking price is only that.

yellow hen

Moonbeam wrote: »

*sigh* That is really unprofessional.
Also remember with the more expensive houses that asking price is only that.

Ah I know. Very few, if any, selling for below asking right now.

yellow hen

Moonbeam, I'm going to see that house tonight. OH is in work so will have toddler with me. Where is quick and easy for me to get him something to eat?

Staplor

Toddler in Maynooth quick and easy:

McDonalds drive thru - if you are really busy.

Bradys or McMahons pubs on the Main St. will both do decent baby bowls.

Chill in Manor Mills is liked by some, I reckon McDonalds is better.

yellow hen

Staplor wrote: »

Toddler in Maynooth quick and easy:

McDonalds drive thru - if you are really busy.

Bradys or McMahons pubs on the Main St. will both do decent baby bowls.

Chill in Manor Mills is liked by some, I reckon McDonalds is better.

I sound really picky now but is there a handy cafe that might do soup or something? I want something quick but we dont really do mcdonalds

Moonbeam

I avoid Mc Donalds and tend towards Supermacs.
I find Mc Mahons or Bradys on the main street good for decent food with the kids.
It really depends on what time of the day it is.

yellow hen

Moonbeam wrote: »

I avoid Mc Donalds and tend towards Supermacs.
I find Mc Mahons or Bradys on the main street good for decent food with the kids.
It really depends on what time of the day it is.

5ish. Have to go down early to skip the traffic.

L1011

O'Briens at Tesco do soup and (prepacked from the other O'Briens) sandwiches, can park outside. I'd give them a buzz to see if they're still open at 5 on a weekday though.

Staplor

Ok you have 1 option which is really close, I do not know what the quality of the food is like.

At the Newtown Inn, a pub in the shops beside Spar in Beaufield there is a restaurant, they say it is a Steak House & Indian. They do regular food and have advertised kids eat free.

I haven't eaten there, it is so close for you though it's definitely an option and walking distance.

https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Beaufield+Cl,+Maynooth,+Co.+Kildare/@53.3732824,-6.5975047,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4867701b3283877b:0x6352e5e6f8272b2e?hl=en

Moonbeam

How did it go ?