Viewing houses in Ballina

Sue de Nimes

My wife and I are in Ballina to view some houses tomorrow. Please don't suggest we look at Westport or Castlebar, we have done and there is nothing available that is suitable :(

We are looking at houses in Childers Heights, Friarscourt, The Old Millstone and possibly (if we can get a booking confimed) in Quignalecka. Can anyone share any info on those estates/developments? Are they safe/quiet? I know some houses in Mayo have issues with pyrite, does anyone know about pyrite in any of those?

BronsonTB

https://boards.ie/discussion/2058198851/viewing-houses-in-ballina

Whatever house you pick, have an engoineers report done - This should highlight any potential issue with the specific house. Talk to neighbours directly about the area. I've lived on the killala road beside the Merry Monk pub - nice area.

Rcfp

https://boards.ie/discussion/2058198851/viewing-houses-in-ballina

I think Rockwell has an issue with pyrite

FileNotFound

Childers Heights is a grand spot, would be pre pyrite I imagine.

Have family living on estates on each side of it and the areas are nice, easy walk to town.

Safe and well developed.

Sue de Nimes

Does anyone know anything about Rehins Fort?

I had heard there might be a problem with pyrite on it but then I spotted a house being sold and listed with an engineer's report certifying pyrite free.

imp1

I see a couple of houses for sale in Rehins Fort, with €45k in the difference. I think that estate took an awful long time to sell / complete. Pyrite is a problem in a lot of Ballina and surroundings. An independent engineers report may be of value.

Childers Heights is long established, anytime I am there always surprised how quiet it is.

Sue de Nimes

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117614526#Comment_117614526

I saw the two houses. The cheaper one has cracks along the side of it and the sale fell through over this. The agent has put it up for public auction istead. The second more expensive house has a "pyrite free certificate" from an engineer.

imp1

Not doubting the veracity of the 'pyrite free certificate' though if it was me, I would wonder why 1 house was showing cracking and the other not.

Will you be working on that side of Ballina, for all its size, traffic can be a real pain, getting through town can take 20 mins in the evening, and long enough in the morning too.

Guessing you have researched the area well enough, but just in case you haven't seen this one, 15 mins or so from Ballina, very rural but pretty village.

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/semi-detached-house-7-lough-conn-drive-annagh-village-lahardane-ballina-co-mayo/3261427

FileNotFound

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117613208#Comment_117613208

Brother lives in Rehins Fort - lovely house, been trouble free for them. No Mica that I am aware of.

Sue de Nimes

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117614914#Comment_117614914

We don't drive so can only look at houses in the town itself. I am going to be looking for work when I arrive (which will probably be online/remote)

imp1

Good luck, hope it goes well.

Sue de Nimes

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117615398#Comment_117615398

Thanks - hopefully we get something that works!

Sue de Nimes

Well that was a real mixed bag. Real concerns about Pyrite with some of the houses we looked at. One of the houses we were really keen on we couldn't get into as the vendors have been given a positive COVID test result. We need to go back to see that one. One estate looked to our eyes as having potential pyrite issues. So many cracks on pretty much every house. We really liked the house in Childers Heights. The garden was particularly nice with high bushes for privacy. We then looked out the back window and saw the garden next door - which explained the need to privacy in the garden.

Thanks for all the input lads.

Tv2013

Just keep looking around, keep checking daft.ie. Check around the Foxford knockmore kilila area for house or further a field. There are some nice areas in claremorris to.

Sue de Nimes

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117625406#Comment_117625406

Neither my wife nor I drive. This limits us to towns (ideally with a train station) and towns with enough amenities within walking distance. I have multiple alerts on daft but there is just so little available at the moment

MacDanger

Hi OP

Good luck with the search, here's my tuppence worth

Childers Heights: Nice at the front of the estate but gets a bit shabby towards the back of it

Quignalecka: We've looked at houses in there; if timing would suit, it might be worth contacting the builders (Bourke Builders Ballina) and see if there are any new builds available, they were 320k when we looked last year which is around the same as some 2nd hand ones are up for currently.

Friarscourt, The Old Millstone - don't know anything about these

Rehins Fort: we currently rent here, it's a decent enough estate but there are a good few rented houses so they don't look as well kept as they might. I'm not aware of any confirmed pyrite issues but there are cracks on the external walls of some houses so who knows. That one that was up for sale, went sale agreed and is now up for auction would make you wonder alright.

Dudda

Quignalecka: We've looked at houses in there; if timing would suit, it might be worth contacting the builders (Bourke Builders Ballina) and see if there are any new builds available, they were 320k when we looked last year which is around the same as some 2nd hand ones are up for currently.

I saw in the newspaper planning section Burke Builders have a new estate planned. Mix of detached and semi detached four beds right beside Quignalecka. Kinda of an extension of the existing estate but it has it's own entrance. Probably this time next year before they're finished though.

Sue de Nimes

We put an offer in on one of the houses only to get told by the agent the vendor no longer wanted to sell!

Things really are pretty chaotic at the moment

Fanofconnacht

One of you really needs to learn how to drive. Life in country towns all over Ireland very limited without a car and really will restrict your movements.

Sue de Nimes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117904842#Comment_117904842

Yes, we are aware of how bad public transport is. Unfortunately, that doesn't help us in the shortterm.