Southern Ireland ...?

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Southern Ireland ...?

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Hannah

Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 277
Location: Pembrokeshire

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 06 9:28 am Post subject: Southern Ireland ...?

We are considering our options at the moment and are thinking about Southern Ireland. I am hoping someone (like Johnnyboy!) will be able to answer some of our questions ...

Are the natives friendly - do they welcome incomers?
Are there any areas to avoid/particularly try and buy in?
Is the house buying process the same as the UK?
I saw one house that said it was in a Less Favoured Area and that you could get a 100% grant to renovate it? Is that basically saying its in an area that you really wouldn't want to live?! Where could I find out more about the grants?

Any other help/advice would be most gratefully received.

Many thanks.

Hannah

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 06 10:09 am Post subject: Re: Southern Ireland ...?

Hannah wrote:

We are considering our options at the moment and are thinking about Southern Ireland. I am hoping someone (like Johnnyboy!) will be able to answer some of our questions ...

There's also a few others in the South. Where are the Exiles In Galway ? Roisin ? and others...
I lived in the SW of Eire for a mere 15 months. Quite a while ago now, so pre-'Celtic tiger' boom. And pre-property mega-boom.

Hannah wrote:

Are the natives friendly - do they welcome incomers?

Read some history, and be aware, but don't let it put you off. County Cork was full of incomers - lots of euro-hippies from all over the place. I think it's probably the same as anywhere - check out the thread on here called something like 'Wales - are the natives friendly?' - if you go prepared to put something into the community, and don't throw your weight around at the start, it's fine.

Hannah wrote:

Are there any areas to avoid/particularly try and buy in?

I'd have suggested avoiding the Dublin area because it will be silly money still. Also the main tourist spots : Ring of Kerry springs to mind. I really liked County Cork, but that's cos I lived there - and Cork was/is a lively city. Lovely scenery round the edges, the Midlands are pretty flat. Limerick had a reputation as a bit of a rough city, but may well have changed.

Hannah wrote:

Is the house buying process the same as the UK?

No, you'd need to check out.

Hannah wrote:

I saw one house that said it was in a Less Favoured Area and that you could get a 100% grant to renovate it? Is that basically saying its in an area that you really wouldn't want to live?!

Think LFA is an EU definition related to agriculture - applies especially to remote, hilly/poor land, etc. possibly with depopulation problems (Like the Scottish Highlands and Islands, for example, also some of the English Lake District). Where was this place, if you don't mind me asking ? (county, nearest big town)

How well do you know the country ? You need to think about what are you planning to do there to earn money ? May need to be within reach of one of the other cities / towns (Cork, Galway, Limerick, Tipperary).

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 06 10:11 am Post subject:

I'm afraid I'm a welshman who moved to Northern Ireland, so Eire isn't my forte, sorry.

But in answer to your question about the natives, then my overall answer would be yes. But with the caveat that you get good and bad in all areas.

The main thing about Ireland, North and South is that the jobs are concentrated in the major conurbations, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Belfast, Antrim, etc. So you really need to consider how/where you will earn your crust.

Gai

Joined: 31 Dec 2004
Posts: 408
Location: Ireland

Posted: Thu Jan 12, 06 12:45 pm Post subject:

I'm born and bred here (although lived/worked in England & N Ireland for many years) and I'd like to think that we're a friendly and welcoming race of folk. I'd agree with Jonnyboy that the overall answer is yes however this wee island has been mightly changed by the celtic tiger. In the past decade we have had the immigration influx that the UK experienced in the 50's & 60's with a lot of the problems associated with that - ie racial problems, increased/more violent crime, welfare problems etc. Personally I think it's a good thing, it has dragged Ireland into the 21st century and has made it a more multi-cultural & less blinkered place to live (you can tell I've lived abroad). A UK person moving to here a few years ago might have experienced some discrimination and bigotry but this now seems to be reserved for Eastern Europeans, Africans, South Americans etc. It is a minority thing though and if you are prepared to integrate with the community then you'll be OK. It's also worth saying that "Old Ireland" is surviving well in rural areas, it's where you'll find a warmer welcome and more of a community spirit.
Which area you move to will depend on work etc. There's a good road infrastructure now but public transport is bad unless you live in or around the Dublin area. If you're going to try your hand at smallholding/farming then stay well away from any urban areas as land is at a premium.
Property prices here have gone mad. When OH and myself returned from London in 1990 we looked at several properties here in Donegal for around 15 - 30 K punts but there was no work here so we bought in N Ireland. The cheapest 3 bed urban semi here now is �150 K although rural properties can still be found cheaply if they don't have land suitable for housing development.
Here's a link to some house buying info
https://working.monster.ie/articles/house/buy/
https://oasis.gov.ie/housing/buying_a_house_or_flat/buying_a_home.html
Go to Google Ireland's homepage to search for properties here, it will give you an idea of prices etc.
https://www.google.ie/
There used to be a lot of grants available here for renovation but many of these have been done away with. I think these vary from county to county so the best bet would be to go onto the local county council web site for the county your property is in and look it up.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 1:05 pm Post subject:

Many thanks for that info Gai, I'll take a good look through those links over the next few days. I'm still trying to decide exactly where (UK/Ireland or France) to look for a smallholding/small farm and had noticed that some of the more remote farm type properties appeared farm more reasonable than modern bungalows on an acre or so. We'd be looking to work the land and work from home so no need to be close to town etc.

Gai

Joined: 31 Dec 2004
Posts: 408
Location: Ireland

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 2:09 pm Post subject:
I've just found this link https://www.movetoireland.com/ recommended on Mrs L's forum. I haven't had a good look through it yet so am not sure of content.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 2:12 pm Post subject:
Why not NI TD?

thos

Joined: 08 Mar 2005
Posts: 1139
Location: Jauche, Duchy of Brabant (Bourgogne-ci) and Charolles, Duchy of Burgundy (Bourgogne-�a)

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 2:55 pm Post subject:

Why not Belgium?

https://www.immoweb.be/EN/Buy.Estate.cfm?IdBien=419410&xgallery=&xpage=1
8.2 hectares with a 3-bedroom house for Euro 322K (about GBP 215K)

https://www.immoweb.be/EN/Buy.estate.cfm?xgallery=&idbien=553520&startrow=1&page=1
9 hectares with two chalets to let plus planning permission for a house �390K (GBP260K)

https://www.immoweb.be/EN/Buy.Estate.cfm?IdBien=629507&xgallery=&xpage=1
10 hectares, a bit posher �450K (GBP 300K)

The immoweb site is not complete, but it gives a general idea of what is available.

The natives are very friendly, but you may need to brush up your French.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 6:42 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Why not NI TD?

Main reason is climate, we are interested in SW England, SW Ireland and Western France. Plenty to look at and narrow down.

I've just found this map which is useful

https://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/geography/climate.html

thos wrote:

Why not Belgium?

We're also looking for out the way places and I think France is a little warmer and has more options for us.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18415

Posted: Mon Jan 16, 06 6:52 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

I've just found this map which is useful

https://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/geography/climate.html.

maps more useful than the text, as Ireland's climate varies so much. County Cork : frost rare, snow almost unheard of and does not linger (in my experience of living there). Much rain, but a 'soft rain' for which an umbrella would be excessive. Round the very edges of West Cork (Beara peninsula, Muntervary), you don't have to dig far before you hit rock - the mountains rise fairly steeply, though there are a lot of river valleys. Seemed very warm, even compared to London, where I'd previously lived.

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