Advice needed - Countryside living

Flagrantfolly

Need advice.

My wife and I are currently looking at trading up to a larger house. We have 2 year old toddler and another baby due in June 2017.

We're looking in the Knocklyon/Rathfarnham area and have seen a few options in the usual spots - Woodstown/Coolamber/Orlagh/Glenvara etc..

However, a house has come up in Cruagh Road. Great looking house and plenty of space on a nice (but not too big) piece of land. Always been a pipe dream for both of us to live in a house like this, i.e. in the "countryside" but close to civilisation, but now that we have a kid(s) I have some concerns.

What I'd like to know is people's advice on the pro's and con's of the lifestyle of living outside the bog-standard, suburban estate.

As I see it, the pro's are:
- Peace and tranquility
- loads of outdoor play space for the kids in a safe environment
- big house
- sense of freedom
- none of the usual disturbances that can occur in an estate (e.g. noise levels, burglaries, bad neighbours etc)

The con's:
- sense of isolation/loneliness
- have to drive to get anywhere
- when kids are teenagers, will have to drop them to and pick them up from wherever they want to "hang out" and lose a sense of what they are up to

I'd love to know people's thoughts on this. In particular, are the cons valid? I always sense this is quite a common pipe dream among suburbanites but is the reality as good as the dream?

Baybay

Only you & your wife will be able to determine exactly what "civilisation" means for your family but allow me to share a little of what we consider it, as countryside dwellers.

1. Bigger house with bigger rooms, great on wet / cold days as there's plenty of indoor play space without impacting on main rooms.

2. Bigger garden which means the lads can happily play football without interfering with the girls basketball or vice versa. Or indeed without decimating shrubs etc. Plus there's plenty of space for great hide & seek adventures or more topically, Easter egg hunts!

3. Walking distance to primary school, shop, cafe, church, bar, beach & golf club.

4. Although it might appear that having to drive your children or teenagers to activities is a pain, it does give control over who they're with or where they are. You also get to meet all of their friends & their parents as you collect & drop off at various houses plus arranging lift shares to training or whatever.

Be aware though that the countryside may not be as quiet & tranquil as you think. I'm not familiar with where you're speaking of but farmers can be noisy at either end of any given day, depending on the season. Animals may need to be moved from field to field by road, on foot. Day trippers may think nothing of inconsiderately parking or littering or making noise of their own. And the countryside is dark at night!

Pretzill

A few things I have learned from living in the countryside -
More space - larger gardens, land, you notice nature more - pace of life seems a bit more relaxed.

Practical things people often don't factor in when getting a detached property - you will more than likely have a septic tank - which needs to be up to standard and emptied every couple of years- winter's can be harsher - mice seem to invite themselves in for the winter too - large possibility you won't get mains gas - (oil central heating is a bugger imo)

Getting a takeaway is a rare treat and you have to pick it up yourself because no-one delivers.

Public transport is at best irregular in the case where I live non existent. So a car is crucial and as you said driving the children around may get annoying particularly on bad winter evenings.

Neighbour's may live a distance away - so it can be very quiet - if they're farming expect tractors on late summer evenings - cows lowing and the faint smell of slurry on a warm still day -

Expect to have more household chores - more grass to mow - more garden to upkeep - etc.

If you are so inclined expect to fall in love with countryside - despite the lack of conviences 😉

quadrifoglio verde

I see that argument about teenagers having to be dropped everywhere.

It's called a bicycle.

Pretzill

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

I see that argument about teenagers having to be dropped everywhere.

It's called a bicycle.

Unfortunately one of the things that has changed even in rural areas is there is a lot more traffic coupled with very rough road surfaces and no street lighting cycling isn't always a safe option.

ThisRegard

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

I see that argument about teenagers having to be dropped everywhere.

It's called a bicycle.

Teenagers can manage themselves, it's organising friends to play with for when they're younger which is the pain.

highdef

Now don't have a dig at me but what part of Cruagh Road is it that you are thinking of buying? Is it in the area just up the road from The Merry Ploughboy pub? If so, that is barely into rural territory. IF it is that area, you're only about a kilometre or so from the M50. Lucky for you, with our prevailing wind, you won't hear the traffic on the M50 too often.

I moved from suburban Dublin to a semi rural area. I'm not far from the M4. The nearest town is Enfield, about 6km away. The village I'm in is almost more of a townland. There's a church, a community hall and a primary school. There is a shop and pub but both are closed.
You would literally be only a few minutes from full on civilisation. If I go to the shop and get back to realise I forgot something, it's a 20 minute round trip (at least) to sort things....and that's by car. It's over an hours walk to the nearest shop.

Would I change it and move back to an urban area??? Not a chance. I LOVE the countryside.

jaded_runner

the OP,s proposed move doesnt sound like fully fledged rural to me so go for it

Flagrantfolly

Thanks for the replies, very helpful.

Yep, it's about 2km up past the Merry Ploughboy. We currently live in Knocklyon and love the general area. The pipe dream has always been to have that big country house with great outdoor space, coupled with the convenience of living near to where we are now so we still have access to the same schools, close to grandparents (they live in Firhouse and Knocklyon), access to City Centre and, I suppose, the general suburban facilities that places like Firhouse/Knocklyon/Rathfarnham provide . We think Cruagh road is that perfect spot that provides the best of both.

Unfortunately the road itself is extremely narrow, bendy and quite busy, so children cycling/walking up and down is not really an option. That's why I have a concern about having to drive them everywhere. The point BayBay made though is very useful on that front.

The general concern is taking our kids away from an estate, where there are loads of kids, to a house which is relatively isolated...are we depriving them of the opportunity to get out on the road and make friends and play?? My thought is that society has changed since I was a kid and it tends to be more play-dates these days rather than just letting them out the front door to play...if that's the case, it doesn't matter where you live as you'll be dropping them to their friends houses/roads, or having kids coming to our house. Would be keen to know other people's thoughts on that front.

Millem

Flagrantfolly wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, very helpful.

Yep, it's about 2km up past the Merry Ploughboy. We currently live in Knocklyon and love the general area. The pipe dream has always been to have that big country house with great outdoor space, coupled with the convenience of living near to where we are now so we still have access to the same schools, close to grandparents (they live in Firhouse and Knocklyon), access to City Centre and, I suppose, the general suburban facilities that places like Firhouse/Knocklyon/Rathfarnham provide . We think Cruagh road is that perfect spot that provides the best of both.

Unfortunately the road itself is extremely narrow, bendy and quite busy, so children cycling/walking up and down is not really an option. That's why I have a concern about having to drive them everywhere. The point BayBay made though is very useful on that front.

The general concern is taking our kids away from an estate, where there are loads of kids, to a house which is relatively isolated...are we depriving them of the opportunity to get out on the road and make friends and play?? My thought is that society has changed since I was a kid and it tends to be more play-dates these days rather than just letting them out the front door to play...if that's the case, it doesn't matter where you live as you'll be dropping them to their friends houses/roads, or having kids coming to our house. Would be keen to know other people's thoughts on that front.

Make sure you still have access to the schools you want.....check their enrollment policy.

liquoriceall

Not to be too negative a person but just remember to consider is the house saleable if you decide the countryside isn't for you? Plus I know that I'm fine in the countryside if someone else is with me but alone no way! So if you had to work away from home 2 nights per week would this be okay? Or you seperated? Or one of you passed away? There is a lot to be said for even a village over one off housing

Teddington Cuddlesworth

You'll be fine up there, it's still civilisation outside your door.
I grew up in Rathfarnham with a portion of my friends coming from up around there.

I can't speak for when they were toddlers but certainly in their teens they didn't consider themselves to be at a disadvantage living up there.
It's still a densely populated area with a lot of life. It's a Dublin suburb after all.

Flagrantfolly

Not too negative at all...they are all considerations that have popped into our head since the house came on the market. I travel with work every couple of months and my wife is concerned about the peace and tranquility turning into an eery darkness while I'm away. I think we'll get a better sense of that when we view the house (this Saturday).

It ties in with your comment re the sale-ability of the house. We're in a position to try the dream and move back to an estate if it's not working out, but we need to be confident it will sell. A few houses (2 or 3) have gone on sale on Cruagh road over the past 12 months and all have sold relatively quickly so I think it checks that box.

As I said above, I think we'll truly get a sense of the place when we view it. There are a number of houses (5 or 6) in the vicinity so again, with my optimistic hat on, I think it will provide a good balance between isolation and a sense of security from the other houses being close by.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Don't under-estimate the darkness - no street lighting to provide a glow of light. Some people have an awful time adjusting to that, I love it though.

Can always be alleviated by sensor lights etc.

I grew up in the country, then between college and after college I spent nearly 15 years living in Limerick suburbs, now I'm back to the country the last 2 years.

I do miss being able to walk to the pub and being able to order takeaways. Outdoor maintenance is much more now as I have a 3/4 acre site. Lawns to be cut and gravel driveways to be sprayed.

But I love the sense of personal space and the quietness. And I know my neighbours around here much better than any when I lived in the suburbs. Can trust them completely and will give them a house key when we go away on holidays to keep an eye on things.

My wife grew up in a sprawling area in Limerick and she love the country too and neither of us could go back. However it is a very subjective and personal thing.

harr

Ok, I myself live in a town setting in a smallish estate....benefits are can walk anywhere supermarket,school,post office or kids friends houses no need for a second car..our children have plenty of children to play with...this can be a good or bad thing depending on what children are outplaying at the time..
Good broadband and tv service and mobile Signal...smaller house means smaller garden and less upkeep costs in general..
My brother lives in country side about 4Km to nearest village...the pros about where he lives are kids have a huge amount of freedom and play outside more, more room, bigger house with big garden..good Community spirit , he knows who kids are playing with at all times..more room for pets or even room for a few chickens .In my opinion his children have a better quality of life.
Cons for rural living...two cars needed, can be lonely if not close to neighbors and definitely the darkness and quiet is a shock to the system if used to living in a town..crime in country side is quite high at the moment and they would often have people snooping around..
No good broadband or mobile phone Signal ...higher costs to keep gardens and house..kids can get lonely during the winter and can't play outside.
Roads in poor condition and bad in winter and finally not been able to walk down for a pint or getting a takeaway delivery.
Would I swap town life for the country side yes I would in a heartbeat if I had the money and the opportunity presented itself.

Viscount Aggro

OP,
I know this area very well - I would consider further out, north Wicklow for example.
Are you aware of the massive development plans for the Hellfire club / Massey Wood?
Theres a fair amount of criminality in the area, joyriders, cars broken into.
The road up and down to Kilakee viewing point is busy - I would not walk along it. And not to mention a few bodies found nearby. Apart from that, its a great area.

Lumen

I nearly bought on Cruagh a couple of years ago, but bad survey put me off.

Not the house you're looking at though (Riverside, presumably). It's been up for ages so before getting too excited best to get a good look around, check it's really for sale, and maybe get a survey done.

Also, some of the houses on that road are quite heavily fortified, and I know someone who rented there (don't know which house) and had a break in. Big dogs are common.

We ended up buying somewhere further out, near a village, for similar money but with more land. It's lovely waking up to birdsong but not having the problems of real countryside (which is effectively industrial).

I wouldn't worry about the car dependency thing. You're still in taxi range of Dublin if you're on a (possibly rare) night out.

Secondary school choices are a bit odd. Rockbrook is head-banger Catholic which you'll either love or hate. We got primary places in Whitechurch, I think, before the purchase fell through.

Dial Hard

Viscount Aggro wrote:

OP, I know this area very well - I would consider further out, north Wicklow for example. Are you aware of the massive development plans for the Hellfire club / Massey Wood? Theres a fair amount of criminality in the area, joyriders, cars broken into. The road up and down to Kilakee viewing point is busy - I would not walk along it. And not to mention a few bodies found nearby. Apart from that, its a great area.

You're thinking of Cruagh Wood. He's talking about buying over the far side of Mount Venus Road. So Hellfire/Masseys Wood development not an inmediate concern for him and I doubt he's too concerned about walking along the road to Kilakee seeing as he won't actually be living anywhere near it.

Flagrantfolly

Yep, we know the area very well (I grew up in Firhouse, my wife in Knocklyon) and we are aware of the Hellfire plans. However I think that will impact Killakee/Old Military road more so than Cruagh.

Again the joyriders, criminality tends to be on Killakee road more so than Cruagh due to the car-park for the Hellfire being on that road.

ganmo

Viscount Aggro wrote: »

OP,
I know this area very well - I would consider further out, north Wicklow for example.
Are you aware of the massive development plans for the Hellfire club / Massey Wood?
Theres a fair amount of criminality in the area, joyriders, cars broken into.
The road up and down to Kilakee viewing point is busy - I would not walk along it. And not to mention a few bodies found nearby. Apart from that, its a great area.

cruagh isn't rural...its high altitude suburbia
5 mins from a decent bus route
local school in edmonstown

but you'll need to be good at giving directions, mobile signal would be patchy
snow can be an issue
joyriding isn't really a problem, plenty of gob****es in their own cars though.
the hellfire development may not even get off the ground

Dial Hard

Flagrantfolly wrote: »

we are aware of the Hellfire plans. However I think that will impact Killakee/Old Military road more so than Cruagh.

Thank you, couldn't remember the name of the road!

ganmo wrote: »

the hellfire development may not even get off the ground

Slightly off-topic, I know (sorry OP) but God I hope not, or at least not in its current guise. I live about 5 minutes from there and it would be a nightmare.

ganmo

Dial Hard wrote: »

Thank you, couldn't remember the name of the road!



Slightly off-topic, I know (sorry OP) but God I hope not, or at least not in its current guise. I live about 5 minutes from there and it would be a nightmare.

last i heard(about a month ago) it was down to a third of the size of the original proposal

ganmo

Dial Hard wrote: »

Thank you, couldn't remember the name of the road!



Slightly off-topic, I know (sorry OP) but God I hope not, or at least not in its current guise. I live about 5 minutes from there and it would be a nightmare.

last i heard(about a month ago) it was down to a third of the size of the original proposal

Parchment

As someone who lived in a rural area most of their life - i think its essential to be within walking distance of a shop of some sorts. I had friends who lived in the most idyllic area yet if they had no milk or someone needed a plaster or something they had to go 15 minutes in the car to the nearest shop. Not very eco-friendly or efficient.

If you have teens - a bus route of some sort nearby will be helpful. We travelled to "town" as teens on a local bus rather than pestering my parents for a lift each time.

Internet speeds can be slower than cities.

You will spend a lot more time in your car - getting too and from places. Also as stated above - you will need two cars unless there is good transport locally - we were able to have one car when we moved to the city.

I bought my own house in the city. I can walk everywhere and cycle to work. I sometimes miss the views in the countryside and the space but overall for me, at this stage of my life living in the city is much handier. I spend so much less on petrol and rarely drive anywhere.I am home from work in 20 mins cycling as opposed to 35 mins in a car each way when i lived in the countryside.

I would love to move back to a more rural area when i am older but now i see the convenience of living in a city. We still have a nice small garden and a lovely house with lots of character.

Ms Doubtfire1

I live 10 minutes from the local shop (by car) and I would never ever move back into the city. mind you, i also have a few horses and on nice days I tend to play cowgirl and ride to the local shop..great fun!!!

pilly

I moved from Dublin to a rural location but in the end I had a choice between a house close to the village and one further out.

I chose the one nearer the village in the end and I'm glad I did but that's mainly because I'm on my own.

One thing I would stress though is check the strength of the broadband. I have to go upstairs at home to get any kind of a decent signal and I didn't think it would bother me at first but now it drives me mad.

Ms Doubtfire1

pilly wrote: »

I moved from Dublin to a rural location but in the end I had a choice between a house close to the village and one further out.

I chose the one nearer the village in the end and I'm glad I did but that's mainly because I'm on my own.

One thing I would stress though is check the strength of the broadband. I have to go upstairs at home to get any kind of a decent signal and I didn't think it would bother me at first but now it drives me mad.

Very good point.I can't even get a broadband connection where I'm living so i have satellite which works perfectly fine but is quite pricey.

pilly

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

Very good point.I can't even get a broadband connection where I'm living so i have satellite which works perfectly fine but is quite pricey.

I can't even get satellite, despite the fact that a house 5 minutes away has a perfect signal. So frustrating. If I really need to do something in a hurry it's quicker for me to drive into the office than to do it at home.

Ms Doubtfire1

pilly wrote: »

I can't even get satellite, despite the fact that a house 5 minutes away has a perfect signal. So frustrating. If I really need to do something in a hurry it's quicker for me to drive into the office than to do it at home.

everybody can get satellite. I'm with digiweb...

pilly

Ms Doubtfire1 wrote: »

everybody can get satellite. I'm with digiweb...

Honestly, I've had 4 companies out, no signal.

Ms Doubtfire1

pilly wrote: »

Honestly, I've had 4 companies out, no signal.

thats just really strange. Is it real satellite or line of sight tower?