Lorcan Sirr: We should encourage Irish people to live in apartments

Banquo said:
Was this in Ireland ? Caretaker?
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Purple said:
My apartment at Christchurch 25-28 years ago had a caretaker/concierge.
My Brother's apartment in Rathgar also has one. His is a lot bigger and fancier than my old one.
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There are still quite a number of them with concierge in places like Heuston South Quarter but the management fees are higher because of this and the apartments are expensive.
 
I can’t see us downsizing either. We have two kids abroad who are back and forth, plus another in the west of Ireland who is here on a regular basis.
Our location is perfect for the airport, shopping, and medical services.
Any smaller house locally is crazy money.
 
Banquo said:
I would estimate that 75% of the price difference is profit
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I don't think any developer/builder is making 75% profit on any part of a development. A two bed is generally €150k or so more expensive than a one bed. Nobody is making more than €100k profit on any new standard 2 bed apartment. The profit margin is around 8-10% and that's on a 5-10 year project.
 
Fortune said:
The height limits are ridiculous. Apartment blocks in Sandyford and Cherrywood, low density between the canals.
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The only capital city in Europe that has this bizarre notion of height restrictions (because overlooking or shadows!). In Paris it is nearly a uniform 6 - 7 stories..... apart from way out on the west side of the city where the financial district is. Why can we not emulate this, just think of the benefits in terms of services, transport etc?
 
jfrank said:
The only capital city in Europe that has this bizarre notion of height restrictions (because overlooking or shadows!).
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Plenty of high rise in my area and more coming. E.g. Montpelier (neé O'Devaney Gardens) and the old Hickey's at Parkgate Street/Heuston Station.

But even though Montpelier was sold as a no/limited parking development, half the residents are already up in arms about but being able to park their cars there. :rolleyes:
 
I have an apartment. If I still have it when older, if my circumstances changed, I would definitely consider moving there. It's a 2 bedroom apartment on one level and it's spacious enough for one or 2. My main drawback would be the OMC arrangements.
 
Persia said:
As someone heading into my 60s I have zero intention of downsizing at any point. I will be carried out of my 4 bed house hopefully in my 106th year.
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Well I hope you have enough money for a cleaner or have OCD and be fit enough at 106. All my elderly relatives had a musty rooms that were seldom used with dated furniture. Probably why I clean out all my hoardings once a year in my one bed apartment.
 
jfrank said:
The only capital city in Europe that has this bizarre notion of height restrictions (because overlooking or shadows!). In Paris it is nearly a uniform 6 - 7 stories..
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The whole street would be 6 or 7 stories with shops , pubs and cafes on the bottom level, we have streets typically 3 or 4 stories and these were built in the 18th century with shop or businesses on the bottom street facing level with everything above this empty derelict or barely used. The regulations and bureacracy and requirements to get these back into liveable accomodation are too expensive and onerous. Then it is too difficult to kick out problem tenants. Back in the 80s these would have been used for cheap and yes dingy living quarters for students etc. Now they are empty and derelict, thats progress i suppose.
 

I posted this article because it shows a typical new appartment complex in drimnagh. It is very nicely built and landscaped etc but its only 4 levels high. In any other european city this would be 8 to 10 stories high at least. Think of how much more accomodation could be provided in irish cities if this was allowed and would go a long way to solving housing crises. However the biggest increase in home building is not multi appartment complexes in major cities but one off houses in the country.
 
joe sod said:
It is very nicely built and landscaped etc but its only 4 levels high.
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I'm not sure why exactly but that place doesn't appeal to me at all. Definitely not for kids they'd probably get shouted at for trying to kick a ball with all the glass and shrubs around. It's also far too small a complex, not enough neighbours, it would like living in a goldfish bowl, the apartments are poky looking too.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
My apartment blocks in Stockholm and Hungary had a permanent caretaker living at reduced rent (retired soldiers in both cases) taking in deliveries and doing minor repairs and maintenance, reducing the need for expensive management companies and security.
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Although I cannot read this article (no IT sub), I have extensive experience of apartments in Hungary and I can say that such resident permanent caretakers have not generally existed for a generation or more. (Perhaps there are reception desks in new luxury apartment blocks, but that's a different thing.)
 
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elcato said:
Well I hope you have enough money for a cleaner or have OCD and be fit enough at 106. All my elderly relatives had a musty rooms that were seldom used with dated furniture. Probably why I clean out all my hoardings once a year in my one bed apartment.
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Agree - I am only 40 and have already started clearning out so others don't have piles of my dusty belongings (i.e. rubbish!) to dispose of when I die. I'd rather not leave the hassle and use very little day to day. The swedes have a word for this - döstädning
 
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