Flat hunting in the city, and other general info help

JayJJeffery

Hey all, I'm a 26 year old guy from Jersey in the Channel Islands. I've been living in Toronto, Canada for the past couple of years but my work is transferring me over to Galway in July!
I'm just wondering what flathunting is like over there? I'm a pretty modern kind of guy, so any apartment/room I do take would would need to have a nice shower and such (I'm not one for vintage looking cottages haha). 

I'd be looking for a 1 bedroom alone or find someone to get a 2 bedroom with, my budget (for myself) would be up to 900pm - is this reasonable for a nice place? My preference would be not to join a house that's already got people in as I'm an awkward turnip sometimes. 
The place would need to be within a 20-30 minute drive of Galway, I will be getting a car so a little further out is OK though the closer to the centre is ideal. Room would need to fit a decent sized bed and a desk (or there be a separate room to work in), it also would need to be Ensuite if it's a 2 bedroom.

I've had a look on rent.ie and daft.ie but it's kind of hard to get a real sense of prices for what i'm looking for, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Before anything else, need to know the approximate location of the job as this will be a major factor i.e. Which side of the river / city centre versus industrial estate etc etc

Also, welcome to Galway

JayJJeffery

Thank you!  I'm working from home all the time, so any side is fine!

ben.schlomo

With upto 900 pm and no particular need for a specific location then you'll be fine. One beds can be thin on the ground would be the only stumbling block.

You will be fine. You say you are ok with up to 30 mins of a drive which means your 900pm may go a long way if you locate outside the city.

You'll have a lot of options at up to 30 mins of a drive from Galway, from Spiddal, Oughterard, Headford, Tuam, Athenry, Oranmore, Loughrea (at a push) to Gort.

Lots of choices there. If you are planning on driving around a lot, staying east of the river might be a better option. Personal preference only here, but I would be looking for something in Oranmore/ Athenry direction as it gives the most flexibility

The next limiting factor will be broadband so you will want to check that when looking at a place. It's likely that you will need to order a connection but the type of connection will differ from place to place.

After that, you might want to get in touch with some letting agents to see if you can get something lined up ahead of time otherwise you may have to stay a few nights in a B&B while you are looking for places.

Last thing, there is a shortage of accommodation everywhere in Ireland at the moment, Galway is no exception. Because of this, there are a few (not many) scammers around. Watch out for anyone looking for you to wire money to them as an absentee landlord.

What you plan to do outside of work will play a part in your decision as well.
Do you plan to head out at the weekends to pubs? (Want to be close enough to the center, so that a taxi doesn't cost the world)
Do you like out door activities (Want ease of access to activities)
Do you know anyone else living in Ireland? (Might you be travelling around the country at the weekend?)

JayJJeffery

Thanks for all your help guys, Baz - I'm not much of a drinker but I'll probably hit the pub with friends but I can drive so not too much of an issue. I'm from Jersey so i plan to go back home every few weeks via Dublin so the east side might be best to get there easier.

I like outdoor activities, but more sports related rather than walks an such, I do know people in Ireland, mainly in Galway and Dublin though.

The broadband might definitely be an issue, for my work I need great internet connections, Oranmore looks like a nice place - would i expect good service there?

I don't know about Oranmore, I would assume its on fiber

I know Athenry got fiber 2 years ago

You're looking at 100 mb for those.

If you go into Galway city you have the option of 240mb.

TerrorFirmer

City goes way past 240, at the moment we're on 360. Oranmore is fine for internet access, it definitely has 100mb and possibly higher. Oranmore is an excellent base as well - has Tesco/Lidl/Aldi/Londis, Cinema, some great restaurants/bars, astro-turf facilities, and Renville Park is an excellent amenity and close by....all within a few km of the city on the east side, there's a motorway junction in Oranmore, and it's served by a pretty good, reliable shuttle bus service as well if you're heading into town. I don't live in Oranmore (anymore) but it would be my first choice if either working from home or working on the east side.

scottishsteveo

I'm live in Oranmore and have Virgin 360Mb fiber. Broadband connection is pretty good. Oranmore also has a train station which is handy for park and ride if you want to go into town but want to avoid the traffic.

Oranmore is a lovely spot, it has some decent pubs, a nice Chinese and Indian restaurant. There's a Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, and Joyces so food shopping shouldn't be an issue.

If you like sports, there's plenty of facilities around here also including Parkrun every Saturday morning at Renville Park.

If you're looking for some mates to go running with, hit me up.

Welcome to Galway!

JayJJeffery

Much appreciated fellas! Oranmore looks like a safe bet, i've also looked a bit west of Galway in Knocknarra or somewhere similar.
It seems modern looking 1 beds are very hard to come back for under 1k currently, I did find one in Knocknarra that was perfect but obviously too early. Do you think more will be available in June/July with all the students going, or will that be more likely to be central areas vacating?

Will defo give you a buzz when i'm over Steveo, will need to get back into getting fit. I'm a big football fan so if theres any 5 aside leagues and such i'd be keen!

Bredabe

JayJJeffery wrote: »

Much appreciated fellas! Oranmore looks like a safe bet, i've also looked a bit west of Galway in Knocknarra or somewhere similar.
It seems modern looking 1 beds are very hard to come back for under 1k currently, I did find one in Knocknarra that was perfect but obviously too early. Do you think more will be available in June/July with all the students going, or will that be more likely to be central areas vacating?

Will defo give you a buzz when i'm over Steveo, will need to get back into getting fit. I'm a big football fan so if theres any 5 aside leagues and such i'd be keen!

Knocknacarra can be busy in summer with seasonal tourists/air B&B, on balance in terms of facilities, Oranmore has much better facilities for day to day living.