Moving from Dublin - Kildare

shakencat

Hey Guys,
Myself and my other half are debating moving to kildare, from our current house in dublin.

We drove there yesterday and the house we are interested in is about 13 mins from kildare village (monasterevin if you want to politically correct!)

We are both into fitness, so would hope theres a tri club/swim masters club team close by to make friends etc?

Also childcare options, what is the going rate for a childminder or creche full/partime? not sure if its much cheaper then dub, as that will decide if i stay full time in dublin working.

The commute dosent annoy us as the house type we want is 100% better than our current 3 bed semi-d and our mortgage would also be cut in half..

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

NedNew2

shakencat wrote: »

Hey Guys,
Myself and my other half are debating moving to kildare, from our current house in dublin.

We drove there yesterday and the house we are interested in is about 13 mins from kildare village (monasterevin if you want to politically correct!)

We are both into fitness, so would hope theres a tri club/swim masters club team close by to make friends etc?

Also childcare options, what is the going rate for a childminder or creche full/partime? not sure if its much cheaper then dub, as that will decide if i stay full time in dublin working.

The commute dosent annoy us as the house type we want is 100% better than our current 3 bed semi-d and our mortgage would also be cut in half..

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

There is no public swimming pool in Monasterevin, Kildare Town or Newbridge but there is a campaign underway at the moment to have one built in Kildare Town. You can find it on Facebook and they would be delighted to have any support.

shakencat

I've no problem traveling a reasonable distance! I understand there's nothing entirely local.. I think naas is the closest..?

And yes, I'll have a gander on fb now to show support,
I actually run a swim school in Dublin so it's defo something I'd support in the town!!

CeilingFly

Pool in Keadeen in newbridge + fitness centre and decent rates without long contracts (you can join for a month or 3 months)

Monasterevin might be a little too far out if commuting especially dark wet mornings. Maybe look a little closer in Kildare town - plenty of new developments going on there and a decent train service.

Another option would be Naas - yes, more expensive, but also factor in lifestyle and cost of commuting and choice of facilities.

Personally I think moving from Dublin to Monasterevin might be too much of a change.

Explore Monasterevin before moving there. Check out the facilities they offer- pubs, restaurants, amenities, local community initiatives etc. Comparing it to somewhere like Naas/Newbridge- it doesn't really compare- they have a lot more.

Explore commuting costs- they will impact mortgage savings- factor in 2 cars- one for you, one for your partner- not just one, which you could possibly survive on if in Dublin. That means many months of savings on mortgage are now lost.

Explore commuting times- Dublin - Monsasterevin is a significant investment in time at peak commuting hours- to arrive in Dublin at 8am means leaving Monasterevin at 6am- that's a 5.30am alarm call, every morning.

Coming back in the evening isn't any less pleasant.

Consider social life- what are you giving up?

It's not for me to say where you should live. You seem to be considering mortgage - that could go down as a % of your annual budget over years if your ability to earn goes up?

It's also not for me to say what I think of where you will live- if you like it, great, move there- but move with your eyes wide open and do realistic calculations on your savings. you need a reliable car to commute from their to Dublin every day- then factor in petrol, servicing etc.

best of luck.

lordgoat

I'd do your commute at the time you would be driving at. Not over the summer with light traffic etc but even then...

shakencat

I wouldn't commute during rush hour, I start work about 2ish and finish between 6-8pm.
So the commute would be clear enough..

bduffy

shakencat wrote: »

I wouldn't commute during rush hour, I start work about 2ish and finish between 6-8pm.
So the commute would be clear enough..

If you have the traffic sorted and mornings off then there's plenty of running available on the Curragh. There's a pool on the Curragh too but difficult to join I'm told.
A few Tri clubs but plenty of cycling clubs.....

CeilingFly

bduffy wrote: »

There's a pool on the Curragh too but difficult to join I'm told. ..

Closed for past 5 years or so and now knocked down as part of racecourse development.

shakencat

CeilingFly wrote:

Closed for past 5 years or so and now knocked down as part of racecourse development.

I called them this afternoon.. they're open!
Person in charge isn't there though, have to call Monday.
Can't imagine I meet the membership requirements though

CeilingFly

shakencat wrote: »

I called them this afternoon.. they're open!
Person in charge isn't there though, have to call Monday.
Can't imagine I meet the membership requirements though

Apologies, I thought it was the fantastic pool they had in the old stand house hotel. Proper deepend too.
Waiting list to join used to be over a year.

bduffy

CeilingFly wrote: »

Closed for past 5 years or so and now knocked down as part of racecourse development.

Curragh Camp

mollygreene

There is a gym in Monasterevin - I've heard good things.

No swimming pools in Monsterevin or Kildare town but there's about 3 in Newbridge.

Monasterevin is a very quiet life, as other posters have said it's not to be compared with Newbridge/Naas.

I've lived in all major towns in Kildare and Monasterevin can feel a little outside civilisation at times.

Depends what you're looking for.

Only one childcare provider in Monasterevin that I know of - Whizz Kids
Nice playschool - my brother went there, not sure on price but I think it's fairly reasonable.

Definitely advise visiting Monasterevin, Kildare town and Newbridge.

Newbridge isn't as cheap as it used to be, essentially on par with Naas.

So if price is major, decide between Monasterevin and Kildare town.

Best of luck!

shakencat

yeah ive heard of 'the gym' too


im a swimmer, so its kind of important to have options in that area if at all possible, gyms are great, but pool is my home


yes, new bridge is dearer.. noticed that myself
been onto K leisure in Naas, seems to be about 20-25 mins from the house we are currently viewing, which isnt bad.

Both myself and himself are hoping to buy property with an acre or more, it will be a culture shock but we do feel its the best for us (and bump!)



its scary as once we sell, thats it, we have to buy somewhere!
wish i could see the future to see whats the best thing to do!!

Would you consider renting your Dublin house for a year and see how Kildare living goes?

Prenderb

There's a good pool and gym down in Portarlington, only 10 mins drive from Monasterevin.

K Leisure have also really good pools in Naas (depending on traffic it's between 25-45 mins drive from Monasterevin) and Athy (around 20 mins drive)

If it helps anyway there's a train service between Monasterevin and Heuston (some go to Connolly too) which is almost as good as the amount stopping in Kildare and might be an option for your commute.

I know you say you're travelling off-peak, but depending on where you work in Dublin, driving can be tough - factor in about 35-40 mins to the M50 Red Cow off-peak, and peak times about 60. The M7 is being widened as far as the M9 over the next 2 years so a bit of pain for that long, but it should improve things after that.

Nightlife wise, Monasterevin is quiet although it has a couple of nice pubs, but there is a 24h bus service linking it from Portlaoise to Naas and on to the Airport (not an option for a commute to Dublin, IMHO because of traffic in Newbridge and Naas) which can help you get to and from some of the lovely restaurants in Co Kildare - of course you can drive either!

Nice walks along the canal, and in local woods - head down soon and you'll see wonderful bluebells and wild garlic!

blackbird98

K Leisure are also in Athy, 15-20 mins from Monasterevin, also Tri-Athy and various water-based clubs in Athy

Emme

Deleted User wrote: »

Would you consider renting your Dublin house for a year and see how Kildare living goes?

I would strongly advise that. I used to be very into fitness when I lived in Dublin - marathons, cycling, bootcamps etc. I bought a house in South Kildare and despite being near a town which is nominally a fitness hub my fitness regime has gone out the window apart from a few brisk walks a week. The early starts, long commutes and late home times have left me knackered along with some additional family responsibilities. Not to mention battling depression with very few resources. I wasn't depressed when I lived in Dublin, living down here has contributed along with the relentless grind and constant fatigue.

If I had given myself the option of returning to Dublin when I moved to Kildare I would not be stuck here now.

If you can move to Naas as it has the best range of fitness options available and it is fairly close to Dublin. The cost of commuting adds up fast so moving a long way away isn't always the save you think it might be.

Some small towns laud themselves on being fitness hubs but they really cash in on it. Fitness costs there are at a premium - equal to anything you might pay in an upper-mid range club in Dublin.

Somebody mentioned K-Leisure in Athy. My experience of that place (gym AND pool) is that it is overcrowded and overpriced. The Naas K-Leisure is supposed to be much better all round in terms of facilities and value for money.

shakencat

Deleted User wrote: »

Would you consider renting your Dublin house for a year and see how Kildare living goes?

we have thought about this too
the rent is as high as it is in Dublin!!! i was shocked!

shakencat

shakencat wrote: »

we have thought about this too
the rent is as high as it is in Dublin!!! i was shocked!

Yeah. I'm actually not surprised as I've heard first hand from a few people renting in various parts of the Midlands in recent times and I was actually gobsmacked what rents they were paying.

OK, so rent, then sell, then buy might not be the option. It does sound that money is your biggest worry and concern right now and to get your mortgage bills down?

If that's so, would you, could you, consider going further afield and getting new employment elsewhere with your/his skills?

I mean, one thing to consider is right now, hours are afternoon to early evening - but will that last forever? If it doesn't, then you're into very early commutes and late home- and additional car/commute expense.

the more your skills are transferrable; the more you could do what you do in Dublin-elsewhere- the more adaptable you'll be.

Again, best of luck- I'm not trying to "dissuade" you moving to this town- just think it through.

How difficult would it be to sell a house in this town in say, 2 years time- 5 years time- 10 years time? I dunno, do you? If you had a house in Dublin, it would be easy- population is on the rise; there will always be demand for Dublin for the foreseeable future based on current predictions.

Even if there's a property drop, Dublin will survive and property will sell at some price- but not all towns will sell at any price.

You appear to have a dream of an acre of land, fresh air, country living- you have a "bump" right now- there's plenty of time yet, to decide what part of the country that "bump" grows up.

shakencat

Money isnt a worry as such (if we stay, or go)

we just have the opportunity to make alot of money on the house we bought in the crash.

meaning we could buy a property with a very small mortgage, or none at all with savings etc.

I run my own business here in Dublin, that can keep going if i stay or go (with or without me here - with the odd drop in here and there) himself is a civil servant working 12 hours shifts either 8-8am or 8-8pm depending on the shift pattern and he can transfer to closer places of work etc - thats not a problem.

its not an issue of work or travel really, its will it be too much of a culture shock?
will i be ok in a small town?
will i regret the move?
are we stupid to sell up?
is there enough to keep me occupied?
will i be lonely, how do i make new friends?


I wish there was an answer to all of the above! but i understand no one can truly answer!!

shakencat

shakencat wrote: »

Money isnt a worry as such (if we stay, or go)

we just have the opportunity to make alot of money on the house we bought in the crash.

meaning we could buy a property with a very small mortgage, or none at all with savings etc.

I run my own business here in Dublin, that can keep going if i stay or go (with or without me here - with the odd drop in here and there) himself is a civil servant working 12 hours shifts either 8-8am or 8-8pm depending on the shift pattern and he can transfer to closer places of work etc - thats not a problem.

its not an issue of work or travel really, its will it be too much of a culture shock?
will i be ok in a small town?
will i regret the move?
are we stupid to sell up?
is there enough to keep me occupied?
will i be lonely, how do i make new friends?


I wish there was an answer to all of the above! but i understand no one can truly answer!!

Well, you've given a lot more information now. So you're going to get more detailed replies.
From my perspective, I think you're thinking short-term. You'll certainly have short-term gains with what you've described, from a monetary perspective

How they translate into long-term gains, that's something I believe you need to give more consideration to, than you're giving right now. You're basing a lot of things on current as-is situation- these situations can change for a lot of reasons.

If you were moving to a town with a lot more stable facilities, such as Naas, Newbridge, I probably wouldn't be quite so prolific with my posts.

but at this stage, I figure you've got MY message- so again, best of luck but do let us know what you ultimately decide.

bleary

Are you from the countryside? Living out in the middle of nowhere sounds appealing but you will spend your life in the car.
It can be very isolating. I know more people who regret it. A couple who don't.
Pools in area very limited. K leisure in naas traffic not great around it.
If youre this unsure please rent out your house in dublin for a year . It's a lot cheaper to do that then make a massive mistake

kk2014

I moved to a small town (not in Kildare but in the country) from Dublin. Similar to yourself in that we had bought a house in the crash and made a lot of money selling it. I don't mean to alarm you but please think this through. I hated the move - I was totally culture shocked and within 3 years we were back in Dublin and I have never been happier but I am still traumatised (literally!) from the stress of the whole situation. I couldn't make friends, my husband relocated his job but that meant he was gone all day and I found it very hard to embrace the new community as I wasn't part of the "clique".

Putting our house up for sale was such an easy decision after 3 long hard years. Please think it through fully and renting is a great idea. The market around Monasterevin is unlikely to shoot up dramatically while your renting.

Best of luck with your decision - it's a big one!

shakencat

kk2014 wrote: »

I moved to a small town (not in Kildare but in the country) from Dublin. Similar to yourself in that we had bought a house in the crash and made a lot of money selling it. I don't mean to alarm you but please think this through. I hated the move - I was totally culture shocked and within 3 years we were back in Dublin and I have never been happier but I am still traumatised (literally!) from the stress of the whole situation. I couldn't make friends, my husband relocated his job but that meant he was gone all day and I found it very hard to embrace the new community as I wasn't part of the "clique".

Putting our house up for sale was such an easy decision after 3 long hard years. Please think it through fully and renting is a great idea. The market around Monasterevin is unlikely to shoot up dramatically while your renting.

Best of luck with your decision - it's a big one!

Thank you for this, it is a very hard decision.
Did you struggle to get back to dublin?
that is an option too down the line, that if we didnt like it, we could move back..
the friends part is a huge thing i feel..
didnt think of cliques..

kk2014

shakencat wrote: »

Thank you for this, it is a very hard decision.
Did you struggle to get back to dublin?
that is an option too down the line, that if we didnt like it, we could move back..
the friends part is a huge thing i feel..
didnt think of cliques..

I did struggle to get back as unfortunately houses in the country are harder to sell so it took us 6 months to sell the house and then there's all the associated stress of buying and selling a house. Being an outsider in a small town is hard, I am originally from not far from Monasterevin and I imagine there's a good mix in the town but it will be a challenge to immerse yourself and take time to be fully integrated and call it "home". The loneliness for me personally caused me severe depression but I may have been unlucky.

I would strongly consider Naas, Newbridge or Kildare town though - all good places and some good house prices around the Curragh / Kildare.

I wish you the very best and feel free to ask any other questions.

beauf

About 50% of my friends who moved out of Dublin eventually came back. I would try renting and see how it works out.

shakencat

kk2014 wrote: »

I did struggle to get back as unfortunately houses in the country are harder to sell so it took us 6 months to sell the house and then there's all the associated stress of buying and selling a house. Being an outsider in a small town is hard, I am originally from not far from Monasterevin and I imagine there's a good mix in the town but it will be a challenge to immerse yourself and take time to be fully integrated and call it "home". The loneliness for me personally caused me severe depression but I may have been unlucky.

I would strongly consider Naas, Newbridge or Kildare town though - all good places and some good house prices around the Curragh / Kildare.

I wish you the very best and feel free to ask any other questions.

yes, since opening this thread we have been looking closer to kildare town/Naas/Newbridge (Rathangan on maps)

meaning we are closer to amenities and more choice of schools etc

I understand the long hours my other half does, as its tough for me even in Dublin!
With me joining a tri club or an activity i was hoping it was enable me to make friends within the area (or close by) with the option to get to dublin when needs be etc

mollygreene

shakencat wrote:

yes, since opening this thread we have been looking closer to kildare town/Naas/Newbridge (Rathangan on maps)

Dear god, I would strongly advise against Rathangan if you're not sure on Monasterevin.

Much more isolated and very very little happening there.

shakencat

mollygreene wrote:

Dear god, I would strongly advise against Rathangan if you're not sure on Monasterevin.

mollygreene wrote:

Much more isolated and very very little happening there.

It's only 15 mins from Kildare village though?

CeilingFly

mollygreene wrote: »

Dear god, I would strongly advise against Rathangan if you're not sure on Monasterevin.

Much more isolated and very very little happening there.

I'd agree.

Rathangan is a very rural area and whilst seems close to Newbridge and kildare, the roads around it are not great.

Very little on the market in terms of semi rural properties at present, but they do come up.

Talk to Maura Donohoe in Newbridge and Michael mcwey in Kildare Town - both will have an idea of what's coming up.