Top considerations when buying first property?

punisher5112

Don't forget 20% is needed for 2nd property and so on....

Also there is the help to buy scheme if you purchase new or build new....

scarepanda

When we saw a house with potential the overriding question we asked ourselves was would we be happy to get 'stuck' there in the long-term.

Because of that question, we've ended up buying a 'forever' house rather than a 'starter' house but it took about 5 years longer to get all our ducks in a row.

Everyone's list will be different and stuff like location will mean different things to different people. So make a list of what's important for yourself? Do you want to live in an urban/suburban/rural area? Do you need/want fibre internet? Do you like to garden? Do you need indoor/outdoor space for kids or pets? Where do you spend most of your free time? Kitchen? Living room? What room do you think you'd need the most living space?

Tork

Aside from the location and parking , the neighbourhood is a big consideration. If you want to live in an estate or near other people, try to find out who's living in the nearby houses. The less rented and social houses nearby, the better. Look at how well maintained the adjacent properties are. Most places go downhill rather than upmarket.

Try to avoid having a back garden that is overlooked. If you're going to live on an estate, try to get somewhere that will be relatively safe from local kids playing football and basketball and hurling nearby. At best you'll be listening to balls going "thump thump" all evening during the summer. At worst, you'll have the tykes playing on the street and your house/car at risk of being damaged by a flying ball :mad: (last car we owned was damaged in such a fashion)

Access to good quality broadband. The current lockdown has proved that access to proper broadband (not crappy midband dongles or DSL) is crucial for many people. This isn't about being able to watch Tiger King in 4K any more - it's about being able to do a proper day's work.

Sound proofing and a decent BER

JustAThought

everyone is different - what suits your life values and objectives? Being a close drive to family? Open fields and privacy? The commute? Or cheaper repayments?

My next house necessities will change from my last ones... life and learn - and things that are important can readjust too.

For me : all non negotiable - Im spending a few hundred thousand this is what I expect:

Affordability without huge risk or pressure
South facing
Large bright rooms
Plenty of Storage
Own driveway & no traffic issues nearby (creche or school parking/lousy neighbours etc)
Next house detatched but not near/on top of similar house filled with screaming kids in the gardens
Good (ie leafy and middle class) safe and beautiful suited location with green spaces and close to the sea and not rurally isolated
No social housing or buy to let social welfare blocks in the area
Not an apartment or townhouse
Not an area that had a lot of ex social housing bought by ex tenants
Warm/well insulated and economic to run
Absolutely no management companies whatsoever.

shenanagans

You can always make changes.......add a roof light, window, extend etc.

You can't change the location or aspect of the house.

Pointless buying a house you can't afford.

If it's not your permanent house consider if it's a good rental location etc for future sale potential etc.

1. Location
2. Aspect
3. Neighbours .........research this. Drive around area at different times/days. Any undesirables in close proximity to property.
4. Amenities......local park or somewhere for walk / community facilities pitches etc/ gym/ supermarket....particularly if you don't drive or you want to rent a room etc.
5. Lifestyle ...... transport, commute, proximity to family/friends

0gac3yjefb5sv7

Interesting to see opinions, aspect was mentioned a few times. I'm sale agreed on an apartment so some of the considerations like garden etc wouldn't be applicable for my case anyway.

Rows Grower

Tork wrote: »

Aside from the location and parking , the neighbourhood is a big consideration. If you want to live in an estate or near other people, try to find out who's living in the nearby houses. The less rented and social houses nearby, the better. Look at how well maintained the adjacent properties are. Most places go downhill rather than upmarket.

Try to avoid having a back garden that is overlooked. If you're going to live on an estate, try to get somewhere that will be relatively safe from local kids playing football and basketball and hurling nearby. At best you'll be listening to balls going "thump thump" all evening during the summer. At worst, you'll have the tykes playing on the street and your house/car at risk of being damaged by a flying ball :mad: (last car we owned was damaged in such a fashion)

Access to good quality broadband. The current lockdown has proved that access to proper broadband (not crappy midband dongles or DSL) is crucial for many people. This isn't about being able to watch Tiger King in 4K any more - it's about being able to do a proper day's work.

Sound proofing and a decent BER

Sounds like the kind of advice I'd imagine a member of the aristocracy would give to their offspring.

Jolly good advice too, avoid the common rabble at all costs and just send me the bill.

Tork

Rows Grower wrote: »

Sounds like the kind of advice I'd imagine a member of the aristocracy would give to their offspring.

Jolly good advice too, avoid the common rabble at all costs and just send me the bill.

Bitter experience, dear boy.

Samuel T. Cogley

For everyone putting location up as their first, why are ye not in a studio in Foxrock or Ballsbridge?

Dylan94

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

For everyone putting location up as their first, why are ye not in a studio in Foxrock or Ballsbridge?

Because Ballsbridge or Foxrock wouldn't be locations that I would like to live, and location is just my first consideration (not my only consideration). You still have all of the others such as size, aspect etc

JustAThought

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

For everyone putting location up as their first, why are ye not in a studio in Foxrock or Ballsbridge?

Foxrockis on the southside in a highly built up area,on s major 6 lane artery feeder road for Dublin with poor noise control and bad air pollution & little charm or quality of life for what you’d pay.

Ballsbridge is infused with council houses /cottages thou has its own charms.

Thread is for personal preferences - seems location and quality of behaviour/people is a concern for everyone.

shenanagans

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

For everyone putting location up as their first, why are ye not in a studio in Foxrock or Ballsbridge?

I know it hard to comprehend but we're not all Dubs living in Dublin.

In general I'd say people mean buy in best area you can afford.

I'd buy a doer upper in a good location rather than a new property in a not so good location.

It's all about perspective......we all have different views. But most people change their priorities after buying their first house.

I would listen to property owners in this forum. Experience counts for a lot. IMO

Homeowner here.

Samuel T. Cogley

shenanagans wrote: »

In general I'd say people mean buy in best area you can afford.

Exactly my point, location is never the number one priority, affordability and suitability come first.

shenanagans

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Exactly my point, location is never the number one priority, affordability and suitability come first.

Not everyone is in Ballsbridge price range. You're example is ridiculous.

Most counties don't have one good area......they have many to choose from and likewise many bad areas. Point is pick a good location. Doesn't have to be the most expensive in your county if that's out of your price range.

You can add an extension, improvement over time......you can't pick up property and relocate it elsewhere down the road.

You're entitled to your opinion. Even if it doesn't go with majority.

Supercell

Things that did influence us when buying our first house but wouldn't now

-How it looked - did it need repainting, what colour was it - painting is easy, anyone can do it, colour can be changed no problem.
- Was any DIY needed - a leaking gutter put me off buying a house that has since doubled in value I'd guess, our own one is only up about 30%. most DIY isn't that hard, a leaky gutter can be fixed easily , just watch some youtube videos on how.

Top considerations if we were to do it again knowing what we do now.

- Location - not just area but main road, quiet road, cul de sac (in order of preference).
- Litter and visible graffiti tell you a lot about the kind of people living around the area. People with no respect for the place they live probably wont have much respect for you and yours either.
- Detached, if at all possible, our kids make a helluva racket, I wouldn't like to live on the other side of a wall to a noisy family.
- Garden, if you are planning on kids, these are sanity savers, let them out to poke slugs and worms with sticks.
- Two story if possible - usually can convert attic if space needed or if bungalow is available it should have room in the garden to extend (bungalow roofs tend to be flatter pitch so not so suitable for attic conversion.
- Proximity to work, a long commute gets old fast.

shenanagans

antimatterx wrote: »

I'm looking to buy an apartment in a year or two. I'm not going to buy anything outrages, but something in the 200K - 230K range would do me fine. Cheap repayments and I get my own place.

If I meet a girl and we want to start a family, great. We can move. But repayments will be much less than a mortgage, so we would have loads of breathing room to save.

With apartments the two big things.......mgt fees and safety regulations. So many apartments blocks need a fortune spent on them because they do t meet regulations......be VERY careful. Do your research.....