Old house in Castleknock or newer in Clonsilla

[hakouna]

I went sales agreed on a nice 3 bed house in Clonsilla last week and vendor solicitor sent contracts to my solicitor .
After bidding on a house in Castleknock failed through few weeks ago , Castleknock house EA just came back telling me that the house is back on the market ... if I am intersed

I am very tempted which one to go for ?

Clonsilla house is 3 bed semi , with potential of building a side guarage or second living room , attic can be converted , 6 yrs old house , owner occupied since bought from new , very well looked after , big back garden , en-suite , understairs toilet and main bathroom , 430K

Castleknock house is 3 bed semi , small side entrance , attic is too small to convert , 25-30 years old house , has been rented for the last few years, small back garden , only one familly bathroom , 440K.

Does the name of "Castlenock" worth it - please advice

Regards
hak.

[envelope]

if your working in town it is good to be that bit closer. you could do a trial run from both houses if this is a factor for you/your family.
i live out that way and i love house, area etc, the length of time it takes to get to work is the only thing that kills me. for me that would be a decideing factor unless i really prefered one house over the other.

[phoenix_n]

Also park close to both houses for about an hour and notice traffic, noise, neighbours and sun/shadow. Drive by at night and check out same. (minus sun/shadow though )

[hakouna]

In fact both houses are 5 min walk from the train , and I work in D15 area .
The fact that castleknock house is very old and has only 1 toilet ; Are those factors give advantage to Clonsilla house over catleknock? Or old built houses are stronger and better in quality than newer one ? on top of Castleknock is a prime name ?

[phoenix_n]

Originally Posted by hakouna

In fact both houses are 5 min walk from the train , and I work in D15 area .
The fact that castleknock house is very old and has only 1 toilet ; Are those factors give advantage to Clonsilla house over catleknock? Or old built houses are stronger and better in quality than newer one ? on top of Castleknock is a prime name ?

You may want to take into account the new energy ratings that will apply to second hand houses in 08. If you intention would be to sell, a poor energy rating will affect your house sale.

[hakouna]

Thanks , Do you mean insulation would be poor in old houses ?

[PGD1]

alot of people think older houses have better sound insulation.. but my parents large 4 bed semi in an established dublin area has terrible soundproofing.

I would have to say that the level of soundproofing in a house would be a major factor for me.

Originally Posted by hakouna

In fact both houses are 5 min walk from the train , and I work in D15 area .
The fact that castleknock house is very old and has only 1 toilet ; Are those factors give advantage to Clonsilla house over catleknock? Or old built houses are stronger and better in quality than newer one ? on top of Castleknock is a prime name ?

Only having one toilet is a disadvantage. The Clonsilla house seems to have a lot of potential for development with the side area and the possibility for attic conversion. If you work in D15 then traffic isnt a major issue for you. Also when both are so close to the train, it seems the newer, better kept house with room for conversion sounds more appealing.

[Voda]

Just in relation to train stations - you mentioned both houses are five mins from a station. I presume you mean Castleknock and Clonsilla station.

I'm in Clonsilla and use that station and purely from a 'using the trains' perspective, you're better off there than Castleknock. The train packs up big time at Clonsilla, then Coolmine and then Castleknock. People at Castleknock struggle to get on and are wedged up at the door! If you don't mind that, then fair enough!

[suzyann]

what part of Clonsilla is it ... We bought a four bed semi in Sorrel Dale and love it - I was tempted at houses in 'Castleknock' ( to be honest was more Carpenterstown than Castleknock) but just felt got a lot more value for money in Clonsilla

[Emily123]

Think about your longterm plans. Are you thinking of having children - if so what will be important to you then? - 2nd bathroom, room to extend, size of garden, schools in area, general amenities. Weigh one up against the other and work out which issues are most important to you.

[liteweight]

The fact that the Castleknock house is smaller with smaller attic, garden etc. and yet is still 10k more expensive than Clonsilla says it all as far as public perception of both areas goes. Castleknock will always be seen as the better area, rightly or wrongly. Therefore, your decision has to be based on what you and your family want from a house and which one meets that criteria.

[homebird]

I would definitely follow phoenix n's advice. Is either house near a green area/area where kids gather. Suffer a little and park up and watch. Having one wc is a disaster for resale or if you've kids/lodgers. Nobody mentioned schools. All schools in the area pretty reputable...

[LuttrellAl]

[quote=hakouna;

Castleknock house is 3 bed semi , small side entrance , attic is too small to convert , 25-30 years old house , has been rented for the last few years, small back garden , only one familly bathroom , 440K.

Does the name of "Castlenock" worth it - please advice
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As a matter of interest where in Castleknock is this house located? I live in Carpenterstown and if you don't have 500k for the smallest 3 bed you can forget about buying there.

440k Sounds a fantastic price but very suspect!

Hope you get the house you want

[hakouna]

You can find this price around Laurel Lodge but I agree with you it is bit suspecious .
The house in Clonsilla is close to "colmine" station - St Mochtas .
Any expirience about this area ?

I agree 440K seems a little suspect for a house in Castleknock, especially Laurel Lodge. Does it need a lot of work done to it?

Have friends who live in that estate in Coolmine. They have no complaints and like the area.

[LuttrellAl]

Originally Posted by hakouna

You can find this price around Laurel Lodge but I agree with you it is bit suspecious .
The house in Clonsilla is close to "colmine" station - St Mochtas .
Any expirience about this area ?

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Not sure i have the right place but if it's the one which backs onto the Clonsilla road then it seems nice to me. The houses are very similar to the ones in Riverwood but dont look as sturdy. All in all it looks a good place to live but someone from the area would be in more of a position to give you a good insight.

Laurel Lodge is a nice area and only 10 - 15min walk to Castleknock village, so a good place to settle down. For the price you quote you can't go wrong once the survey gives it a clean bill of health.

If your not from the Blanch or Castleknock area and you need more info don't hesitate to ask.

[hakouna]

Is there anyone living in St Mochtas - clonsilla can give me more indight of the area . I work in one of the industrial parks in snougbrough road , and kids are in school in Castleknock

[RitaC]

I live in St. Mochta's estate for the last 5 years. It's a quiet enough estate but just bear in mind that a lot of the houses are not owner occupied and are rented out. I work also in blanchardstown and commuting wise it's very handy

[hakouna]

"just bear in mind that a lot of the houses are not owner occupied "

Is that something good or bad ...!!??