Brendan Burgess
Founder
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From yesterday's Q&A in the Irish Times Property Supplement
Question:
As someone new to Dublin ...I am having difficulty in getting the real low down on developments I am interested in, stuff like what it's like to live there, are the other tenants noisy, what the neighbourhood is like, the real commute into the city, etc. Obviously the estate agent talks everything up so I can't really go with what she says, and if I was from Ireland I might know more people that I could ask, Any suggestions?
Answer:
It can be difficult getting a handle on a neighbourhood. Preumably you have tried the obvious things, such as visiting the area at different times of the day and night, asked the agent what the ratio of investors to owner-occupiers is(the latter tend to make for a more stable environment);called into the local Garda station to get an idea of crime levels, looked at things that are important to you i.e. the local supermarket, schools etc. If there is any vacant land around the apartment you could check with the local planning office to see if anything is earmarked for the site. And there's a very lively discussion forum on the excellent www.askaboutmoney.com website in the "Location, Location,Location" thread where emailers can seek information about various developments.
Question:
As someone new to Dublin ...I am having difficulty in getting the real low down on developments I am interested in, stuff like what it's like to live there, are the other tenants noisy, what the neighbourhood is like, the real commute into the city, etc. Obviously the estate agent talks everything up so I can't really go with what she says, and if I was from Ireland I might know more people that I could ask, Any suggestions?
Answer:
It can be difficult getting a handle on a neighbourhood. Preumably you have tried the obvious things, such as visiting the area at different times of the day and night, asked the agent what the ratio of investors to owner-occupiers is(the latter tend to make for a more stable environment);called into the local Garda station to get an idea of crime levels, looked at things that are important to you i.e. the local supermarket, schools etc. If there is any vacant land around the apartment you could check with the local planning office to see if anything is earmarked for the site. And there's a very lively discussion forum on the excellent www.askaboutmoney.com website in the "Location, Location,Location" thread where emailers can seek information about various developments.
