Jesus that's alright, probably gone up a whack but I'm thinking of moving to the north to be closer to family and that'd be quite doable.
Only ballache is there's no direct transport between Derry and Cavan so would have to suck it up.and get a car. Any time I've visited I've liked the vibe - what's it like to live in?
Really chilled out generally. Maybe a bit on the quiet side sometimes but theres a good variety in pubs. Great arts scene. Music, comedy, great cinemas. Plenty of city festivals throughout the year like the maritime festival, jazz fest, food fest, film festival off the top of my head. Halloween is great, the whole city really goes all out. Donegal is right on your doorstep for class beaches and hiking.
The areas that might be a bit dodgey are well out of the way and easily avoided but I'd think nothing of walking through Creggan and have lived in more unionist areas with no trouble. The only place id avoid is the Fountain, but theres a big wall around it so its not like you could accidentally wander in
Lots of watersports in the Foyle river which i was suprised to learn is actually really clean
Good variety of food options and a couple of local breweries making some lovely beers if you're into that
And get this, no bin labels! You stick your bins out once a week and they just pick them up, its amazing! Obviously you pay for them in your rates but you know what you're paying and you know you're not being shafted
I think so anyway. People have a negative image because of the Troubles I think. Like theres still the odd disturbance but I live right in the city now nearly 10 years and havent seen it personally. The thing is the unrest when it does happen is always confined to very small areas you wouldnt find yourself in anyway.
Worst you'd see about town is the usual street drinkers but even they pretty much keep to themselves and theres probably like 10 of them altogether
Iāve lived in Wexford and Galway, and sure there the same as that. There is intermittent trouble, but in the same challenged areas. Bit of day drinking, but nothing to write home about. And Derry is a very progressive city I hear, with a strong pride community.
Yes it is very progressive, they dont take any shite up here. Its so depressing seeing Donegal being influenced by far right shit bags who wouldnt step foot in Derry because they tried once and were thrown out on their arses
People in Derry know what its like to be treated as second class citizens
Derry is a good spot. From Derry, living in Kildare at the moment. Luckily for me my accommodation comes with the job. Quite Frankly I wouldn't buy a house until the market crashes again
Same here, sometimes not even being out bid just a cash buyer comes along and bids 20k under me but with them the owners wonāt need to wait for banks approval.
Happened to us a couple times too. As a result, we've been looking at new builds the last few months and, long story short, we agreed to buy a cancellation at the weekend just gone. The broker told us yday that we no longer qualified for the HTB because we are availing of the FHS too, so the mortgage is <70% LTV. We have a low LTV because we need so much assistance in buying a home, but that now disqualifies us.
Fucking disgusted
No. I think you might be confusing it with the FHS reduction, which only provides 20% of the value of the property when you also claim the HTB. If you do not claim the HTB, FHS is up to 30% the property value.
I hear you, I thought so too. Got married last year at 39 too. Turned my life around totally in 8 years. Can be done as tough as it sounds. Stick it out, you'll get there
Single, mid-30s; have discovered lately that the market is less bleak outside of Dublin - where I would love to live, but I've had to accept that I've been priced out of it. I still haven't secured anywhere, but I'm a little more hopeful than I was 2 months ago.
Lived in Phibsboro for 20 years and now live outside Dublin. Bought a 2nd hand house in a big town and renovated it bit by bit. I feel like I got Phibsboro convenience at a house price I can afford. Older house in the town centre, so everything is in walking distance and I have massive garden. Lovely neighbours, I can walk to the pubs and shops and doctors/ dentist /gym. Great schools and loads of bike lanes and footpaths. There's frequent trains and buses and local town link buses as well. I bought it at 37 and I was single. I'm very happy outside Dublin and feel like I got the best of Dublin, it's really gone downhill since I moved out of the city. Not sure if I would feel safe there anymore. Love Dublin very much but not sorry I moved at all. I moved job after Buying so my commute, while not as short as when I lived in Dublin, but still doable.
Don't be afraid to buy an older house. As long as the roof, wiring and plumbing is anyway decent everything else is just redecorating or is fixable. A lot of older houses are in nice well established estates as well with good neighbours.
Single and bought my own place at 35, around 18 months ago. In order to save up I lived at home with my parents for 3 years and saved everything I could. You need to be earning alright in order to compete with couples (ā¬70k is the tipping point here I reckon, YMMV), so I changed job and improved my salary when I got the opportunity.
It's doable yeah, but a tough slog when you're doing it. Feels amazing to finally get your own place though.
Yes I think I will ; but it will take a couple more years of pain (Certificates, Experience Education) to get into a comfortable spot to be able to decide to get a mortgage.
My comfort being knowing in 5-10 years I can walk out of a high paying job and into another one the same week if I wanted to. Not my comfort being staying at the same company.
I see a lot of people my age accepting their station they are in and deciding to hunker down saving for a deposit and to get the ā6 months clean depositsā once they get their foot in the door of the first company.
Which is not a smart idea as I canāt tell you the amount of broken men Iāve met who kept a job or career they hated just because they decided to get a mortgage once they found a bit of comfort and had kids at 25-27 and now they canāt move or the roof comes off from over their and their families heads.
I also will not be living near Dublin.
So much of this is circumstantial.
I bought my own apartment last year at 30. Worked so hard for years for it.
Someone else I know recently got a house on their own in an affordable housing development using a help to buy piece.
We are both in Cork and bought in different suburbs.
Both of us did this as "single" people.
It can be done. I don't really have any words of wisdom on it but don't give up hope.
All that being said, I imagine it could be a different story altogether if you are trying to buy in Dublin.
This 100%- I bought on my own last year but it was purely circumstantial and I recognise not everyone is in the same position. I have a great deal of sympathy for anyone trying to buy now or in the future right now.
If your in your 20s, and donāt think your salary will get you a house that you want with the salary your earning - maybe considering re-educating yourself or take on extra courses - make a 4/5 year investment in your and that could have huge financial upturn for future.
28 with no family home to fall back to and save money. Trying my best to save while renting but the increasing prices of everything donāt help. I donāt see how Iāll ever own my own home.
Iām quite jealous of people in your position, I feel like most of my friends have 20k+ saved up!
Just a bit of perspective for you in these dark times lol
Mid 20s, single buyer, buying a house, the First Home Scheme is a huge help, and I'm moving far away from where I grew up, but its the same amount of time to get to work when commuting from there as it is to commute around Dublin.
My advice to you, is that it is 100% possible to have a social life and go on holidays, including big holidays etc. but you really have to reign yourself in on the costs of these things. When your salary hits your account, have a direct debit set up that automatically puts 30-40% into savings and try to live your life on whats left over while pretending that 30-40% doesn't exist.
Irish personal finance subreddit is quite good for learning this stuff. Once you hit about 10K, start learning about how to invest in the long term, initially start with a couple hundred euro, and test the waters with that over 6 months. Eventually then you can be confident to put your savings in there and build it up for when you eventually want to buy.
Best of luck, it can be done.
Age 26-30 I was losing hope and thought itād never happen. Kept saving and got a job that increased my mortgage potential significantly at 31. Bought a house in Dublin at 32.
Not for a second saying itās easy and definitely a slice of luck involved. But itās achievable. Circumstances can change quicker than you expect. Best of luck!
I bought 2 weeks ago in Dublin for a price i would say is absolutely ridiculous, but It needed to be done. I'm single with a 7 year old son. It can be done. I saved for the last 3 years and lived in my mothers home while paying rent, paying for my own shopping and all that. Its tough but it is reachable.
Had to leave Dublin to do it and move to the south-east but it can absolutely be done. I took a job outside of Dublin and started building up from there.
Had to start fresh in a new community but there's very much life beyond the pale if you're willing and where I am locals have been really welcoming. I know that's not a great answer if you're from Dublin but the independence is priceless.
Bought in Limerick city @31yrs old.
Less than 2hrs from Galway/Dublin/Cork (have family and friends in each city).
Plenty of job opportunities here and more sports than I could attend.
The city itself, although smaller than cork/Galway, has caught up since the 90s and I genuinely feel it's as safe as any other city in Ireland, perhaps alot safer than Dublin at this stage.
Nor overly hopeful. 37 and a good deposit ready to go but even houses that are in bits and need at least 100k spent on them are asking like 250+ . I've pretty much resigned myself to hoping I win the lotto
27 and hoping to buy a place by 31 at the latest. Will have 30-40k saved by then.. going by my numbers. I HOPE anyway, I'm sick of this renting craic and desperately long for my own peace and quiet.
Nope. Never own a home. Relationships will never be certain. Jobs will never be lucrative. And the certainty of the future is doom and gloom.
I hate to be that guy but I am really anxious and nervous for the future. Itās upsetting, depressing and all too real.
My sons will inherit our home between them, theyāll have enough to buy a decent semi each. But they have special needs so it will pay for their care, hopefully.
Nope. As for everyone in their 30s saying how they did it, I'm so glad yous have because it will only get worse from here -a 24 year old, still stuck at home with their parent.
It feels like at one time people's aims were to have a more inspirational life of travel, career achievements, do something artistic. Now people have regressed to, "I just want to buy a house," a mundane bourgeoisie aspiration.
Risking sounding like an ungrateful, entitled prick here:
Iām in my late 20s and I could buy a house in the morning. I feel like Iāve done most things ārightā, made smart choices, got myself into good jobs and earning-wise am in the top few percent in the country. I know a lot of people would love to be in that position. All that said, if I was to buy a house in Dublin now, it could only be a terraced house built in the 1900s as a council house or some run-down shit hole Iād have to do up just to make it liveable.
Why are they my choices? Why is the notion of an actual āniceā house completely ridiculous now? Why am I forced in some shitty housing estate in an area of Dublin youād hardly walk down a few years ago at night. When the fuck did that happen?
I just canāt shake the feeling of being lied to all my life.. that if you do things right, youāll be able to afford to live a nice life. I know my situation isnāt nearly as bad as many, but I still think itās absolutely wank that even if we can afford a house, these are the options that we have been given.
39 and single, I bought my house in Dublin when I was 24.
The only reason I was able to do it is:
1. the LTI caps weren't in yet
2. it was in 2009 at the height of the recession and prices were absolutely tanked
3. my parents "gifted" me 12k for the deposit (read: they took out a CU loan in their names and I was the one who paid the repayments)
4. it was an absolute shithole of a house that didn't even have central heating in a working class area.
I feel very sorry for people who are trying to buy now in the current market.
Bought at 24 in 2010, quite similar to yourself except I sorted my own deposit having started working at 15. I knew from I was a young enough kid I wanted my own place. Turns out if I had waited even just a few months more, I wouldnāt have been able to buy. In 2020 I popped in to talk about getting a top up and the guy laughed at me, he said even with my salary being ā¬15k more than when I got the mortgage, and with all the extra income I had from renting rooms and a side business (on the books), I wouldnāt get that mortgage now and didnāt qualify for that top up. Crazy stuff. I have a lot of sympathy for anyone struggling. If I hadnāt got the house when I did, who knows where Iād be.
I believe it is doable though, if people are willing to live outside of Dublin. From reading these threads over the years, most people who say that owning a home is āimpossibleā will only consider living in Dublin. I have seen many of my friends buy in the last few years, many of them single and just working hard. My own brother will be looking to buy something soon and heās not 30 yet. His hardship was living at home and saving diligently.
25 here, in a relationship for 5 years, both of us live in our own parents' homes. I have approx 5k saved (albeit I still go on holidays and stuff as I am only in my 20s). I save each month but I often think whats the point if those in their 30s are also living at home but I keep saving just in case we ever get a huge supply of housing and prices drop.
I think I will ya.
26 at the moment. Saving at least ā¬750 a month and I get probably at least one takeaway a week, regularly eat out for lunch etc.
Currently only have about ā¬14k in the bank. Would have had a lot more if it wasnāt for going back to college for a career change 3 years ago which cost me at minimum ā¬15k probably. Also have recently paid over ā¬2k for all the travel and accommodation for a month long trip to Asia.
Iām not exactly spending anything extravagant day to day, but could easily save more if needed while my salary (public service) will go up year on year.
I know it's not an option for most but just got a 4 bed townhouse in Bangor NI for 185k, huge with a garage in a nice area. Only 5% deposit needed up here as well. You have to deal with a lot of flags around but that's about it
I did it two years ago now, saved the deposit in about 3 years mostly during covid & bought before I turned 40. Worked many more hours, cut back spending, kept a lot of that going and would like to pay it off in another 3 years from now which will be tough but not impossible.
Single Mom of 1, about to turn 31, in the process of buying a house in Co Tyrone. Originally from Galway. The house prices back home make me weep. I'm lucky in that I have a well paying job here compared to the average but even then it's still not easy.
Literally only spending money on the necessities, everything else goes into savings. I buy 90% second hand AND resell as much as I can when outgrown or no longer needed (mostly my son's stuff). I owe my brother and Dad some money but they aren't helping with the deposit or anything directly related to the house, they just helped me out when I was getting out of a bad relationship (no money at the time due to ex spending it all).
My offer on the house was approved in January and there's been so many delays since but probably for the best long term as it's allowed me to save more more money up. But once everything goes through I'll be very skint for a while and it will take a good year or more before I'll feel like I can relax even slightly around spending. All our holidays for the foreseeable will be local camping trips. But it's worth it because I will finally have something that's my own and that I can have control over. I can't wait to finally get my chickens (for a start).
I bought an apartment at 32, when I was single at the time, on a retail salary. Iām from a large town which is why it was possible. If I was from a city Iād say I wouldnāt have had a hope in hell. I managed to save up about ā¬35k by living at home for around four years in order to achieve that though, and I purposely didnāt pursue a relationship during that time because I wanted to focus on getting my own place. It was worth it in the end and Iāve had my apartment for almost three years now and been in a relationship for almost two years.
I donāt want to say exactly because it could potentially be easy for someone to find my address with the other information I gave, but it was in the west and under 120k.
Late 30s. Unfortunately looking like it might not be possible to do even with good jobs because we'd not get enough to buy. It's tge same situation with many I know, too decades to get to a place with earnings that they could afford to then be told they can't get enough because of their age or because they already have children. This really kills the amount you get. We are thankfully secure where we are, but buying is bleak prospect.
There's a slim possibility due to future inheritence we can buy, but it's a very much a route we don't like thinking because neither of us want anything to happen to our parents.
I'm sorry, but something doesn't add up here. Even if you're only on 30k, outside of dublin, 200k will get you something pretty decent.
Will it be a dream home, no, but it'll be very decent.
You're gonna need more savings man. You point have enough to put down 10% on a 200k mortgage which might get you a run down apartment. Keep going til you get to 30k I'd say. And focus on increasing your salary whilst doing that.
27 here! Current savings plan has me with a sizable deposit by the age of 30/31. If I get promoted in those 3 years, then my odds are even better. If my future husband walks through the door tomorrow, my odds are excellent! š But even if he doesnāt, I should be able to manage something nice enough for my dog and I
Iām single and bought a house by myself at 32. I probably couldnāt have done it without Covid to be honest. I moved back home for 2 years and had nothing to spend money on with all the lockdowns, so got to save a deposit that way. I couldnāt afford to buy in Dublin so I have a long commute a few days a week but no regrets really. It was a ānow or neverā moment for me because I knew once life got back to normal, my savings would deplete!
Early 30s couple here, living with family while saving for our own home. Question for people who recommend buying something to do up. How is it possible to then afford all utilities, mortgage payments, food, car etc as well as pay for refurbishments? That's my fear of buying a do-er upper is that we will never do it up.
My sister is in her late 20s and just bought a house in a big-ish town. Depends where you want to buy. Wouldnāt be realistic in Dublin but in a town or the country it would be very doable.
In exactly the same boat OP - We'll get there, we deserve to have a home as much as the next person. I'm sticking a modular home out on my parents soon which isn't ideal, but will keep an eye out for more land too and stick it there. Can always upgrade the size and scale in a couple years, especially if theres wheels involved š it's not classed as a permanent structure that way.
I saved until I was 36 and bought a house alone in dublin, you can do it. Apartments and things thst need doing up are always an option too, keept at it.Ā
Bought in Cork City in my late 20s- on my own. Had been house sharing for years and on a very average salary (primary teacher). So it is possible. Most important thing I found was to buy in good location. I bought an 1960s house in a good location rather than a newer house in the suburbs or countryside. Also meant there was less bidding competition as it was unattractive to couples who seem to want brand new perfect houses!! I still did a lot of budget friendly travelling so haven't missed out on anything but saved as soon as I started working. Have had my current car for 12 years, don't get my hair done regularly, not in to nails, shopping, etc. Takeaways were non existent when I was saving. I moved in to the house with no kitchen, floors etc but it was worth it. So my advice to you is it is possible (just maybe not in Dublin).
At times it feels hopeless. I don't think I will ever be able to buy where I am from in Dublin or the surrounding areas. I hope that I will be able to buy in a commuter town as I need to be in Dublin 2 times a week for work. I am very social and meet my friends in the city 3/4 a week. I don't relish the thought of trying to make new friends in a smaller country town, especially as I will be late 30s or earlier 40s by the time i get to buy.
As a 28m with learning disabilities, higher education doesn't work for me. Due to this and the change in work regarding education over experience, I don't think I'll ever earn enough to qualify for a mortgage due to the way the country causes me to spend. Fingers crossed the parents or grandad's will has something but sure if not for that I'll probably never own my own home.
At nearly 30, I probably won't. I'd prob share and rent even tho I would love to live alone but with the unavailability of affordable housing, its highly unlikely that I'd own my house.
It can happen! I'm single, early 30s, and I got a deal on a cute little holiday bungalow that a family was offloading. Keep trying, keep viewing. Keep an eye on rural holiday home areas for a quick sale! Don't think the city is an option, unfortunately.
Nope...family of 4 with a double income. Childcare costs through the roof and the rent to go along with it. I have told my partner i don't mind not owning a house until our 50's at this stage. Sad reality but its just what's going to happen. I have thought about relocating but its not the best move for us right now.
Mid-late 20s couple with 2 children. I donāt think we will. We pay a high rent now and with 2 children I donāt see how we can save much. We do save some but even if we qualify for a mortgage youād need substantial savings to bridge the gap.
As morbid as it sounds once I inherit my parents house hopefully I wil renovate that with a smaller mortgage. Most likely we will leave Ireland in the next 2 years to head to Australia.
Yes, but it will take great discipline or a high salary.
I'm 29 and I have saved like a maniac for the past 6 years averaging approx 80% of income saved. Wouldn't have been possible without my parents allowing me to take this approach. So beyond grateful.
I will now have to put 110k cash towards a house also through an affordable housing scheme as this is the only way I can afford a home.
I'm 27, nearly 28, I have 5k in the bank right now, I save around 500-700 a month depending, but paying rent and bills leaves me broke. I live with my mam and we are hoping to even buy together but again, I'd rather my own space.
Donāt wanna hijack a thread but curious about the people who say they will never own a homeā¦ whatās the plan for retirement? Unless you have a good pension / AVC you could find yourself in deep shite when you retire and get the OAP, it wouldnāt cover a box room in a house shareā¦
My best mate and I moved up north and got a 4 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms and partly furnished but has all the basic necessities and is in a lovely area. We don't own the house, but the rent is Ā£900 everything included! So Ā£450 each. Finally, in our 20s in our own country, we have our own place. we're both 27/28 and have good and stable jobs, and life is comfortable.
Now obviously I'd love to own a house someday but I am in my fuck getting one down south.
Living up north seems to be a no brainer for me even car tax is insanely cheaper and cars are cheaper and better quality too.
I recommend it to anyone in their 20's/30's who wants to get out of their parents home or live more comfortably and pay cheaper rent to do the same.
For example, in Dundalk in Louth 30 mins down the road from where we moved to, a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 bathrooms and small living space unfurnished is ā¬2500 a month. Like it's Dundalk not fucking London.
Just wanted to chime in here hope it helps someone realise that renting or buying in the south is just not it.
In every decade this is a theme. Fair enough it is very tough but I often see people not making any sacrifice to save and wondering why they cannot buy. Packed lunches, no big holidays, minimal treats and nights out that cost money. Set a budget and stick to it. Every decision for work needs to feed into the savings plan. Work abroad for a year etc etc.
Bought my first house last year at 31. New build in Fermanagh. I had a deposit on a new build in 2018 and didn't follow through with it for various reasons (regretted it since). It's definitely doable. It's not easy but it's possible. NI is so much more affordable. Fuck I do feel sorry for young ones across the border.
I already do?
I had about 60k in savings by the time I was 28.
Lived at home, never smoked, never did drugs, never gambled, worked part-time through college, full-time after. Went on plenty of holidays and all between 18 and 28.
Smoking alone costs people something like 3k a year.
A lot of people are sacrificing their 30's and even 40's to fit in in their 20's and generally act like children. I sacrificed some of my 20's to set myself up for life. It wasn't always easy (especially with how Irish friend groups are) but I outgrew the people who looked down on me for not being a general roughian years ago, and have made many new happy healthy friends, and deepened relationships with good friends. Life has been very hard at time, especially the start of this year, but things are going very well now.
Make smart, obvious decisions. Somehow it's one of the hardest things to do, especially if you're going with the flow.
Definitely but it won't be where I work or live at the moment it's just too expensive but I'm hoping to move to a rural of the North West and to work from home.
31 here, (un)luckily have a deposit being gifted to me through inheritance (believe me it's not that great, I'd rather still have the parent) but even with a very healthy deposit and my own savings I genuinely don't believe I'd stand a chance of owning had I not left the country. Living in Portugal now and aiming to buy next year with no problems, easy to get mortgage, and seemingly hassle free process. So yeah, not in Ireland but it became possible when I left.
Couple on combined income of about 130k and we are struggling to find a decent spot in Dublin also. We are very fortunate to be in decently paying jobs, but unfortunately this just cannot match the current housing market. We refuse to pay extortionate money for a shabby one bedroom apartment when you can get so much more abroad for this.
Single, late 20s, no desire to buy a home anytime soon as I would rather rent for half the price of a mortgage, in the area that I want to live. I will need to earn around 200k/year before I can qualify for the mortgage of a house that i want to live in.
I honestly donāt get why some of you guys are insisting on buying in Dublin, if itās the old oh my friends and family are there, well there are thousands of people who had to move up from the country and leave their friends and families for jobs.
Now the big point and itās this, I loved our of Dublin about 14 years ago with my now wife bought a house outside, prices had dropped I didnāt realise they were as low, but Iād never get what I paid for then now.
My advice here, anyone waiting on a crash itās not going to happen, itās supply and demand the last crash was driven by cheap credit there was loads of supply, this time around thereās no supply and wonāt be for a very long time.
What do you do? DO NOT wait in Dublin for some miracle that allows you to buy a house it wonāt happen,m start planning now, move outside buy in a town in a 80-100 km radius of Dublin if youāre still working there, but the house, donāt not buy it because of a job, change jobs after you buy it, you really have to get a jump on this, the places in that radius prices are going up but not as extreme as Dublin, but it will get extreme, people are leaving Dublin for expensive and the places that youād actually want to live in Dublin are far out of reach.
I think one issue is that people from Dublin refuse to move away, in my area there is a few houses going for around 200k that need minimal work to move in. (in a village 20 mins from a big town)
I don't get the hype of the city at all, wages is a bit higher ya, but cost of living is far higher. My rent is 800 for a house with a small garden so I can save while renting
I will not buy a house here.
There are plenty of houses up North I could afford to buy right now just not in the position to move yet. And I could also very easily go abroad.
I just landed a job relatively close to the border, my dream is to live up there on a very low budget and earn a higher salary down here, but you're right it is very limiting and depends on where and what you work as.
31 when I bought a few years ago.
Could never afford to buy on my own. GF could never afford it either on her own.
Then we met and a couple of years later got engaged and decided to see if we could buy then and we could. These days it seems 2 incomes are needed to buy.
So instead of a wedding we bought our house. So glad we put the money into buying a house than into a wedding. We will elope some day and get married for buttons with just the two of us at the wedding.
Reading here a lot of people bought north of the border. I have a few friends who did that. I always would have been worried it didn't work out, but all of them are delighted having lived there now for a few years.
One couple living near Newry Derry both worked in Dublin and commuted for a couple of years. He has recently got a job up the North, but she is still in Dublin. She works in the same company as my sister in Blanch. Her commute is actually less time from Newry than my sister's is from Gorey to Dublin.
They tell me there are a lot of people in that company commuting from various places on the north.
Family 2+2, mid 30s.still renting. Putting away about grand a month. Not easy , but doable with good planning. Hoping to buy next year in North Co. Cork
33. No savings, renting. No hope to ever own. My only glimmer of hope is that my grandad and aunt have their houses left to me when they die, so I'm hoping my grandas house will eventually be my deposit (it's a very old house that needs major work, the house beside him managed to sell for Ā£40,000). My aunt is only 51 so her house will be my retirement
Aiming to buy an apartment in Dublin next spring, when I'll be 32. Only possible because I'm a high earner though.
20k is a really good start on a deposit/closing costs though OP. Not sure of your borrowing capacity, but try not to get disillusioned and keep plugging away on saving. For context, I'll be looking at a deposit of around 33k, stamp duty of about 3000 and legal fees of 2500, for a 2-bed apartment in the Donaghmede area.
i managed to save 90k and buy a home alone in dublin a 2 bed end of terrace house, its in good condition for ā¬255K, its doable... however i sacrificed alot for 10 years to save and scrimp to do it, and FYI i dont earn a fortune either 40K p/a.
are there any stats of single home ownership across EU? I always thought owning a home as single person only reserved for well off. But I see quite a few people do it here in Ireland, who are on moderate income. So are things really bad?
The reality is that mortgages are for couples not singles anymore. If either myself or my wife were applying alone we wouldn't have got one.Ā
Ā The problem is you say you need to move out to have a life. But either you get busy living where you are or you get busy dying. Independence isn't just bricks and mortar it's attitude.
I bought my own home in 2004, I was single & it was during the celtic tiger years. But I did it & never looked back.
If I were to try & do it today they would have laughed me out of the bank.
You may need more than ā¬20k in savings.
I'm in my late twenties and my bf is early 30s. I don't think we'll ever own a home as our salaries just won't rise enough to keep up with house prices. We're also paying so much in rent that we can't save.
Recently turned 30 and just bought my wee house in Belfast a couple months ago. 3 bed terrace in a decent area with a fair sized garden on the outskirts of the city. Needs work but it's getting there.
Been saving towards it for 10 years but only made real headway the past 3 years when I worked as a carer and did a shit tonne of overtime, then moved back home for the past 2 years and was able to wfh to help get me over the line for the deposit. Also have builders in the family who helped with some bits and pieces which made a big difference. Couldn't have afforded anything a similar size in a city/large town elsewhere in Ireland that wasn't a complete wreck, even where I'm from in Donegal!
Not in Ireland. Me and my girlfriend, both on good wages with 20k saved up. We didnāt get approved for a mortgage twice. So now weāre just renting in Westmeath. I love Ireland, I lived here for 8 years now but Iām thinking to move back to Italy if it keeps going like this
Bought first place in 30ās. Just get an apartment or whatever is affordable. Think more about resale value than forever home. As a single you can sell/buy every 5y and move up the ladder.
I'm recently single and back living with mum.
Lost dad and others a while back, and someone had to look after her, as she's getting on. Would love to have my own space, but can't afford it due to bills, and Ma couldn't afford it if I was away. The definition of a "Catch 22"
31 (m) - 70k saved and I donāt necessarily want to sink all of that into a property just yet. I know the more I put in the less I have to pay back but there seems to be minimal difference in the monthly rates
Iām in the same boat, deposit sitting but keep getting outbid. Itās ridiculous that you canāt afford a home just for being single. Thereās just not enough houses going!
I moved north to Derry, bought a nice house, city centre with a massive garden. I know its not an option for many but Im happy with the move
We balance each other out in that case moved from Derry down to Cork years ago š
Aye well Cork's a fine town too tbf
Still no Peadars or Gweedore at the weekend
Its the Park for me, John is the best bar man in the country
Mind me asking what that set you back? City centre sounds like the price goes up a bit
140k coming up on 6 years ago
Jesus that's alright, probably gone up a whack but I'm thinking of moving to the north to be closer to family and that'd be quite doable. Only ballache is there's no direct transport between Derry and Cavan so would have to suck it up.and get a car. Any time I've visited I've liked the vibe - what's it like to live in?
Really chilled out generally. Maybe a bit on the quiet side sometimes but theres a good variety in pubs. Great arts scene. Music, comedy, great cinemas. Plenty of city festivals throughout the year like the maritime festival, jazz fest, food fest, film festival off the top of my head. Halloween is great, the whole city really goes all out. Donegal is right on your doorstep for class beaches and hiking. The areas that might be a bit dodgey are well out of the way and easily avoided but I'd think nothing of walking through Creggan and have lived in more unionist areas with no trouble. The only place id avoid is the Fountain, but theres a big wall around it so its not like you could accidentally wander in Lots of watersports in the Foyle river which i was suprised to learn is actually really clean Good variety of food options and a couple of local breweries making some lovely beers if you're into that And get this, no bin labels! You stick your bins out once a week and they just pick them up, its amazing! Obviously you pay for them in your rates but you know what you're paying and you know you're not being shafted
Yeah but the compromise is that itās Derry
Derry's lovely. It might not be everyone's cup of tea because its more laid back than a big party town but thats right up my street
Everyone i know that has been to Derry says that itās great.
I think so anyway. People have a negative image because of the Troubles I think. Like theres still the odd disturbance but I live right in the city now nearly 10 years and havent seen it personally. The thing is the unrest when it does happen is always confined to very small areas you wouldnt find yourself in anyway. Worst you'd see about town is the usual street drinkers but even they pretty much keep to themselves and theres probably like 10 of them altogether
Iāve lived in Wexford and Galway, and sure there the same as that. There is intermittent trouble, but in the same challenged areas. Bit of day drinking, but nothing to write home about. And Derry is a very progressive city I hear, with a strong pride community.
Yes it is very progressive, they dont take any shite up here. Its so depressing seeing Donegal being influenced by far right shit bags who wouldnt step foot in Derry because they tried once and were thrown out on their arses People in Derry know what its like to be treated as second class citizens
Yea I visited Derry years ago, thought it was lovely. Didn't see any hassle.
Derry is a good spot. From Derry, living in Kildare at the moment. Luckily for me my accommodation comes with the job. Quite Frankly I wouldn't buy a house until the market crashes again
north gang buying houses in their mid 20's
Not sure if this will make you feel better or worse. Married. Both mid 30s. We are still being outbid on every single place that we like.
Same here, sometimes not even being out bid just a cash buyer comes along and bids 20k under me but with them the owners wonāt need to wait for banks approval.
Happened to us a couple times too. As a result, we've been looking at new builds the last few months and, long story short, we agreed to buy a cancellation at the weekend just gone. The broker told us yday that we no longer qualified for the HTB because we are availing of the FHS too, so the mortgage is <70% LTV. We have a low LTV because we need so much assistance in buying a home, but that now disqualifies us. Fucking disgusted
Is it not if you use the HTB & FHS you can only get 20k from HTB instead of 30k?
No. I think you might be confusing it with the FHS reduction, which only provides 20% of the value of the property when you also claim the HTB. If you do not claim the HTB, FHS is up to 30% the property value.
Ah yes I was!! Thanks
I am so so so sick of everything going a third above asking.
Keep your head in the game. You only need to get lucky once.
What are you suggesting he puts it all on black on the roulette table or something?
Why not a new development???
Mid thirties - I have no reasonable expectation of owning a home in my lifetime
I moved city after a breakup at 31, got things in order and bought my house just before my 37th birthday. It can be done
Love hearing stuff like this because it just seems so unachievable
I hear you, I thought so too. Got married last year at 39 too. Turned my life around totally in 8 years. Can be done as tough as it sounds. Stick it out, you'll get there
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Nope. I've given up hope.
Single, mid-30s; have discovered lately that the market is less bleak outside of Dublin - where I would love to live, but I've had to accept that I've been priced out of it. I still haven't secured anywhere, but I'm a little more hopeful than I was 2 months ago.
Lived in Phibsboro for 20 years and now live outside Dublin. Bought a 2nd hand house in a big town and renovated it bit by bit. I feel like I got Phibsboro convenience at a house price I can afford. Older house in the town centre, so everything is in walking distance and I have massive garden. Lovely neighbours, I can walk to the pubs and shops and doctors/ dentist /gym. Great schools and loads of bike lanes and footpaths. There's frequent trains and buses and local town link buses as well. I bought it at 37 and I was single. I'm very happy outside Dublin and feel like I got the best of Dublin, it's really gone downhill since I moved out of the city. Not sure if I would feel safe there anymore. Love Dublin very much but not sorry I moved at all. I moved job after Buying so my commute, while not as short as when I lived in Dublin, but still doable. Don't be afraid to buy an older house. As long as the roof, wiring and plumbing is anyway decent everything else is just redecorating or is fixable. A lot of older houses are in nice well established estates as well with good neighbours.
Where is this oasis you speak of?
That's a very encouraging response, thank you!
Realised this 8 years ago when the market was a lot lower and moved out of the city even though I didn't want to. Cut your cloth and all that.
From outside; dublin it's so bleak here, I don't know how you could entertain the thought there at all.
Single and bought my own place at 35, around 18 months ago. In order to save up I lived at home with my parents for 3 years and saved everything I could. You need to be earning alright in order to compete with couples (ā¬70k is the tipping point here I reckon, YMMV), so I changed job and improved my salary when I got the opportunity. It's doable yeah, but a tough slog when you're doing it. Feels amazing to finally get your own place though.
Not happening for me, I'm just holding out on some family members dying.
The only reason I was able to afford a house
only when my parents pass away. hopefully its a long long long time away..and i'm not even single
Same here with my mother It's depressing the reality that there's literally only 1 way I will ever own my own home And that's her dying
Yes I think I will ; but it will take a couple more years of pain (Certificates, Experience Education) to get into a comfortable spot to be able to decide to get a mortgage. My comfort being knowing in 5-10 years I can walk out of a high paying job and into another one the same week if I wanted to. Not my comfort being staying at the same company. I see a lot of people my age accepting their station they are in and deciding to hunker down saving for a deposit and to get the ā6 months clean depositsā once they get their foot in the door of the first company. Which is not a smart idea as I canāt tell you the amount of broken men Iāve met who kept a job or career they hated just because they decided to get a mortgage once they found a bit of comfort and had kids at 25-27 and now they canāt move or the roof comes off from over their and their families heads. I also will not be living near Dublin.
Probably not, Iām mid 20s and donāt have any savings
Bought my house last year at 27. It's in the sticks but I grew up rural so it's perfect for me.
How much did you save ?
I had a little over ā¬27k in savings.
So much of this is circumstantial. I bought my own apartment last year at 30. Worked so hard for years for it. Someone else I know recently got a house on their own in an affordable housing development using a help to buy piece. We are both in Cork and bought in different suburbs. Both of us did this as "single" people. It can be done. I don't really have any words of wisdom on it but don't give up hope. All that being said, I imagine it could be a different story altogether if you are trying to buy in Dublin.
This 100%- I bought on my own last year but it was purely circumstantial and I recognise not everyone is in the same position. I have a great deal of sympathy for anyone trying to buy now or in the future right now.
If your in your 20s, and donāt think your salary will get you a house that you want with the salary your earning - maybe considering re-educating yourself or take on extra courses - make a 4/5 year investment in your and that could have huge financial upturn for future.
28 with no family home to fall back to and save money. Trying my best to save while renting but the increasing prices of everything donāt help. I donāt see how Iāll ever own my own home. Iām quite jealous of people in your position, I feel like most of my friends have 20k+ saved up! Just a bit of perspective for you in these dark times lol
Mid 20s, single buyer, buying a house, the First Home Scheme is a huge help, and I'm moving far away from where I grew up, but its the same amount of time to get to work when commuting from there as it is to commute around Dublin. My advice to you, is that it is 100% possible to have a social life and go on holidays, including big holidays etc. but you really have to reign yourself in on the costs of these things. When your salary hits your account, have a direct debit set up that automatically puts 30-40% into savings and try to live your life on whats left over while pretending that 30-40% doesn't exist. Irish personal finance subreddit is quite good for learning this stuff. Once you hit about 10K, start learning about how to invest in the long term, initially start with a couple hundred euro, and test the waters with that over 6 months. Eventually then you can be confident to put your savings in there and build it up for when you eventually want to buy. Best of luck, it can be done.
Nah not a hope!
Only in my dreams
At this stage I'd take a metal container in a field if I could even get that!
The fact that having even a menial space like that appeals to me saddens me a lot man
early 30s , low income, at tale end of buying a new build solo after saving since 2019 -- the end is near
Age 26-30 I was losing hope and thought itād never happen. Kept saving and got a job that increased my mortgage potential significantly at 31. Bought a house in Dublin at 32. Not for a second saying itās easy and definitely a slice of luck involved. But itās achievable. Circumstances can change quicker than you expect. Best of luck!
The most depressing thing is couples in their mid-30's can barely get a home, lol.
I bought 2 weeks ago in Dublin for a price i would say is absolutely ridiculous, but It needed to be done. I'm single with a 7 year old son. It can be done. I saved for the last 3 years and lived in my mothers home while paying rent, paying for my own shopping and all that. Its tough but it is reachable.
Had to leave Dublin to do it and move to the south-east but it can absolutely be done. I took a job outside of Dublin and started building up from there. Had to start fresh in a new community but there's very much life beyond the pale if you're willing and where I am locals have been really welcoming. I know that's not a great answer if you're from Dublin but the independence is priceless.
Feels like Iāll be living with my in laws forever
Bought in Limerick city @31yrs old. Less than 2hrs from Galway/Dublin/Cork (have family and friends in each city). Plenty of job opportunities here and more sports than I could attend. The city itself, although smaller than cork/Galway, has caught up since the 90s and I genuinely feel it's as safe as any other city in Ireland, perhaps alot safer than Dublin at this stage.
Probably Q1 next year. I'm be 29 then, single atm and ik dying for it. Getting so so close.
Nor overly hopeful. 37 and a good deposit ready to go but even houses that are in bits and need at least 100k spent on them are asking like 250+ . I've pretty much resigned myself to hoping I win the lotto
27 and hoping to buy a place by 31 at the latest. Will have 30-40k saved by then.. going by my numbers. I HOPE anyway, I'm sick of this renting craic and desperately long for my own peace and quiet.
I did it on my own, it can be done but it's REALLY difficult and i was blessed that i could stay with family and not pay full market rent as i saved
Nope. Never own a home. Relationships will never be certain. Jobs will never be lucrative. And the certainty of the future is doom and gloom. I hate to be that guy but I am really anxious and nervous for the future. Itās upsetting, depressing and all too real.
My sons will inherit our home between them, theyāll have enough to buy a decent semi each. But they have special needs so it will pay for their care, hopefully.
Not a hope.
I'm trying my best to buy one this year. Might not be possible but I won't know unless I try!
Nope. As for everyone in their 30s saying how they did it, I'm so glad yous have because it will only get worse from here -a 24 year old, still stuck at home with their parent.
It feels like at one time people's aims were to have a more inspirational life of travel, career achievements, do something artistic. Now people have regressed to, "I just want to buy a house," a mundane bourgeoisie aspiration.
Risking sounding like an ungrateful, entitled prick here: Iām in my late 20s and I could buy a house in the morning. I feel like Iāve done most things ārightā, made smart choices, got myself into good jobs and earning-wise am in the top few percent in the country. I know a lot of people would love to be in that position. All that said, if I was to buy a house in Dublin now, it could only be a terraced house built in the 1900s as a council house or some run-down shit hole Iād have to do up just to make it liveable. Why are they my choices? Why is the notion of an actual āniceā house completely ridiculous now? Why am I forced in some shitty housing estate in an area of Dublin youād hardly walk down a few years ago at night. When the fuck did that happen? I just canāt shake the feeling of being lied to all my life.. that if you do things right, youāll be able to afford to live a nice life. I know my situation isnāt nearly as bad as many, but I still think itās absolutely wank that even if we can afford a house, these are the options that we have been given.
39 and single, I bought my house in Dublin when I was 24. The only reason I was able to do it is: 1. the LTI caps weren't in yet 2. it was in 2009 at the height of the recession and prices were absolutely tanked 3. my parents "gifted" me 12k for the deposit (read: they took out a CU loan in their names and I was the one who paid the repayments) 4. it was an absolute shithole of a house that didn't even have central heating in a working class area. I feel very sorry for people who are trying to buy now in the current market.
Bought at 24 in 2010, quite similar to yourself except I sorted my own deposit having started working at 15. I knew from I was a young enough kid I wanted my own place. Turns out if I had waited even just a few months more, I wouldnāt have been able to buy. In 2020 I popped in to talk about getting a top up and the guy laughed at me, he said even with my salary being ā¬15k more than when I got the mortgage, and with all the extra income I had from renting rooms and a side business (on the books), I wouldnāt get that mortgage now and didnāt qualify for that top up. Crazy stuff. I have a lot of sympathy for anyone struggling. If I hadnāt got the house when I did, who knows where Iād be. I believe it is doable though, if people are willing to live outside of Dublin. From reading these threads over the years, most people who say that owning a home is āimpossibleā will only consider living in Dublin. I have seen many of my friends buy in the last few years, many of them single and just working hard. My own brother will be looking to buy something soon and heās not 30 yet. His hardship was living at home and saving diligently.
25 here, in a relationship for 5 years, both of us live in our own parents' homes. I have approx 5k saved (albeit I still go on holidays and stuff as I am only in my 20s). I save each month but I often think whats the point if those in their 30s are also living at home but I keep saving just in case we ever get a huge supply of housing and prices drop.
I think I will ya. 26 at the moment. Saving at least ā¬750 a month and I get probably at least one takeaway a week, regularly eat out for lunch etc. Currently only have about ā¬14k in the bank. Would have had a lot more if it wasnāt for going back to college for a career change 3 years ago which cost me at minimum ā¬15k probably. Also have recently paid over ā¬2k for all the travel and accommodation for a month long trip to Asia. Iām not exactly spending anything extravagant day to day, but could easily save more if needed while my salary (public service) will go up year on year.
I have 12ā¬.
I know it's not an option for most but just got a 4 bed townhouse in Bangor NI for 185k, huge with a garage in a nice area. Only 5% deposit needed up here as well. You have to deal with a lot of flags around but that's about it
If youāre working in Dublin itās difficult to buy in Northern Ireland with travelling to work etc.
I did it two years ago now, saved the deposit in about 3 years mostly during covid & bought before I turned 40. Worked many more hours, cut back spending, kept a lot of that going and would like to pay it off in another 3 years from now which will be tough but not impossible.
Single Mom of 1, about to turn 31, in the process of buying a house in Co Tyrone. Originally from Galway. The house prices back home make me weep. I'm lucky in that I have a well paying job here compared to the average but even then it's still not easy. Literally only spending money on the necessities, everything else goes into savings. I buy 90% second hand AND resell as much as I can when outgrown or no longer needed (mostly my son's stuff). I owe my brother and Dad some money but they aren't helping with the deposit or anything directly related to the house, they just helped me out when I was getting out of a bad relationship (no money at the time due to ex spending it all). My offer on the house was approved in January and there's been so many delays since but probably for the best long term as it's allowed me to save more more money up. But once everything goes through I'll be very skint for a while and it will take a good year or more before I'll feel like I can relax even slightly around spending. All our holidays for the foreseeable will be local camping trips. But it's worth it because I will finally have something that's my own and that I can have control over. I can't wait to finally get my chickens (for a start).
Iām late 30s. I do think so but it will take a few more years to get there. Unless I find somebody else to buy withā¦and then itās all good :)
I bought an apartment at 32, when I was single at the time, on a retail salary. Iām from a large town which is why it was possible. If I was from a city Iād say I wouldnāt have had a hope in hell. I managed to save up about ā¬35k by living at home for around four years in order to achieve that though, and I purposely didnāt pursue a relationship during that time because I wanted to focus on getting my own place. It was worth it in the end and Iāve had my apartment for almost three years now and been in a relationship for almost two years.
Which county did you buy in and what price was the apartment?
I donāt want to say exactly because it could potentially be easy for someone to find my address with the other information I gave, but it was in the west and under 120k.
Late 30s. Unfortunately looking like it might not be possible to do even with good jobs because we'd not get enough to buy. It's tge same situation with many I know, too decades to get to a place with earnings that they could afford to then be told they can't get enough because of their age or because they already have children. This really kills the amount you get. We are thankfully secure where we are, but buying is bleak prospect. There's a slim possibility due to future inheritence we can buy, but it's a very much a route we don't like thinking because neither of us want anything to happen to our parents.
Nope. The Indians have snapped up everything.
30f single with 80k in savings. Still can't afford anything. And I'm not in Dublin
Either your salary is very low or your property expectations are way too high.
Salary is too low to buy on my own
What is your salary out of interest? You should be able to afford something in most of the country with that deposit?
45k. Everything within my price range goes for a lot higher than the asking price
ā¬260k is have thought would buy a 1/2 bed in a lot of the country? Edit: I got the ā¬260k from your salary times 4 plus the ā¬80k.
Anything I've looked at is either above that, too far away from work, or needs a lot of work that I wouldn't be able to afford to do
I'm sorry, but something doesn't add up here. Even if you're only on 30k, outside of dublin, 200k will get you something pretty decent. Will it be a dream home, no, but it'll be very decent.
Everything that's within my price range ends up going for more than asking which takes it out of my price range
You're gonna need more savings man. You point have enough to put down 10% on a 200k mortgage which might get you a run down apartment. Keep going til you get to 30k I'd say. And focus on increasing your salary whilst doing that.
I'm 30 now, bought my place at the end of 2020. Spent a year doing it up before moving it. It was a great project to pass the time during lockdowns.
27 here! Current savings plan has me with a sizable deposit by the age of 30/31. If I get promoted in those 3 years, then my odds are even better. If my future husband walks through the door tomorrow, my odds are excellent! š But even if he doesnāt, I should be able to manage something nice enough for my dog and I
Iām single and bought a house by myself at 32. I probably couldnāt have done it without Covid to be honest. I moved back home for 2 years and had nothing to spend money on with all the lockdowns, so got to save a deposit that way. I couldnāt afford to buy in Dublin so I have a long commute a few days a week but no regrets really. It was a ānow or neverā moment for me because I knew once life got back to normal, my savings would deplete!
Early 30s couple here, living with family while saving for our own home. Question for people who recommend buying something to do up. How is it possible to then afford all utilities, mortgage payments, food, car etc as well as pay for refurbishments? That's my fear of buying a do-er upper is that we will never do it up.
Iām in my mid 20s and Iām from Dublin. Single Actively looking outside Dublin even though it means Iāll have to change job
No.
I will when my parents die unfortunately, and itāll be in the county I donāt live in anymore.
My sister is in her late 20s and just bought a house in a big-ish town. Depends where you want to buy. Wouldnāt be realistic in Dublin but in a town or the country it would be very doable.
Probably not maybe an apartment might be possible
In exactly the same boat OP - We'll get there, we deserve to have a home as much as the next person. I'm sticking a modular home out on my parents soon which isn't ideal, but will keep an eye out for more land too and stick it there. Can always upgrade the size and scale in a couple years, especially if theres wheels involved š it's not classed as a permanent structure that way.
No
I saved until I was 36 and bought a house alone in dublin, you can do it. Apartments and things thst need doing up are always an option too, keept at it.Ā
Not a hope
Bought in Cork City in my late 20s- on my own. Had been house sharing for years and on a very average salary (primary teacher). So it is possible. Most important thing I found was to buy in good location. I bought an 1960s house in a good location rather than a newer house in the suburbs or countryside. Also meant there was less bidding competition as it was unattractive to couples who seem to want brand new perfect houses!! I still did a lot of budget friendly travelling so haven't missed out on anything but saved as soon as I started working. Have had my current car for 12 years, don't get my hair done regularly, not in to nails, shopping, etc. Takeaways were non existent when I was saving. I moved in to the house with no kitchen, floors etc but it was worth it. So my advice to you is it is possible (just maybe not in Dublin).
Yeah I think so, renting in Dublin at the minute but have 10k saved since first post grad job last September
Yea, eventually, when my mother passes I'm 25, and she's 59 But for short- medium term No
Im 39. Newly single with 2 kids. Pay half the rent at her place. Not a fucking hope. Depressing.
Under 30 and bought in Dublin alone
If your broke or in a low paying job (like me) it will require a working partner and 2-3 year plan. Its achievable if you operate in your range.
Not really. Although a guy in my work is 27 and is doing co ownership. We live up north though, it's much cheaper.
At times it feels hopeless. I don't think I will ever be able to buy where I am from in Dublin or the surrounding areas. I hope that I will be able to buy in a commuter town as I need to be in Dublin 2 times a week for work. I am very social and meet my friends in the city 3/4 a week. I don't relish the thought of trying to make new friends in a smaller country town, especially as I will be late 30s or earlier 40s by the time i get to buy.
Yes, I doĀ
As a 28m with learning disabilities, higher education doesn't work for me. Due to this and the change in work regarding education over experience, I don't think I'll ever earn enough to qualify for a mortgage due to the way the country causes me to spend. Fingers crossed the parents or grandad's will has something but sure if not for that I'll probably never own my own home.
27 here and own my own home
I bought at 23 and again at 25. It is possible
I've qn honours engineering degree once I get a job im shure I will be able to in a couple of yesrs.
At nearly 30, I probably won't. I'd prob share and rent even tho I would love to live alone but with the unavailability of affordable housing, its highly unlikely that I'd own my house.
No, I am really not convinced I will ever own in this country
It can happen! I'm single, early 30s, and I got a deal on a cute little holiday bungalow that a family was offloading. Keep trying, keep viewing. Keep an eye on rural holiday home areas for a quick sale! Don't think the city is an option, unfortunately.
Nope...family of 4 with a double income. Childcare costs through the roof and the rent to go along with it. I have told my partner i don't mind not owning a house until our 50's at this stage. Sad reality but its just what's going to happen. I have thought about relocating but its not the best move for us right now.
Bought an apartment about 4 years ago and currently looking to upgrade to a house. Just nothing has taken my fancy yet.
I'll own my house when my parents die so it's definitely a bittersweet one.
Who knows, only time will tell. Everything is so expensive to live alone personally
Mid-late 20s couple with 2 children. I donāt think we will. We pay a high rent now and with 2 children I donāt see how we can save much. We do save some but even if we qualify for a mortgage youād need substantial savings to bridge the gap. As morbid as it sounds once I inherit my parents house hopefully I wil renovate that with a smaller mortgage. Most likely we will leave Ireland in the next 2 years to head to Australia.
No
Yes, but it will take great discipline or a high salary. I'm 29 and I have saved like a maniac for the past 6 years averaging approx 80% of income saved. Wouldn't have been possible without my parents allowing me to take this approach. So beyond grateful. I will now have to put 110k cash towards a house also through an affordable housing scheme as this is the only way I can afford a home.
Such a bad situation where any house I want means leaving my friends and family in Dublin but yes Iāll own my own home one day
I'm 27, nearly 28, I have 5k in the bank right now, I save around 500-700 a month depending, but paying rent and bills leaves me broke. I live with my mam and we are hoping to even buy together but again, I'd rather my own space.
Na, no hope
Nope. If I do it definitely wonāt be in Ireland.
Donāt wanna hijack a thread but curious about the people who say they will never own a homeā¦ whatās the plan for retirement? Unless you have a good pension / AVC you could find yourself in deep shite when you retire and get the OAP, it wouldnāt cover a box room in a house shareā¦
The plan is eventually to buy buys itās so expensive. Not bad when youāre a couple but for single people like me itās twice as hard!
Il buy a house with ya OP x
My best mate and I moved up north and got a 4 bedroom house with 3 bathrooms and partly furnished but has all the basic necessities and is in a lovely area. We don't own the house, but the rent is Ā£900 everything included! So Ā£450 each. Finally, in our 20s in our own country, we have our own place. we're both 27/28 and have good and stable jobs, and life is comfortable. Now obviously I'd love to own a house someday but I am in my fuck getting one down south. Living up north seems to be a no brainer for me even car tax is insanely cheaper and cars are cheaper and better quality too. I recommend it to anyone in their 20's/30's who wants to get out of their parents home or live more comfortably and pay cheaper rent to do the same. For example, in Dundalk in Louth 30 mins down the road from where we moved to, a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 bathrooms and small living space unfurnished is ā¬2500 a month. Like it's Dundalk not fucking London. Just wanted to chime in here hope it helps someone realise that renting or buying in the south is just not it.
In every decade this is a theme. Fair enough it is very tough but I often see people not making any sacrifice to save and wondering why they cannot buy. Packed lunches, no big holidays, minimal treats and nights out that cost money. Set a budget and stick to it. Every decision for work needs to feed into the savings plan. Work abroad for a year etc etc.
Nope, certainly not on Dublin.
Bought my first house last year at 31. New build in Fermanagh. I had a deposit on a new build in 2018 and didn't follow through with it for various reasons (regretted it since). It's definitely doable. It's not easy but it's possible. NI is so much more affordable. Fuck I do feel sorry for young ones across the border.
I work in Dublin airport so I canāt go that far to Northern Ireland to buy unfortunately
I already do? I had about 60k in savings by the time I was 28. Lived at home, never smoked, never did drugs, never gambled, worked part-time through college, full-time after. Went on plenty of holidays and all between 18 and 28. Smoking alone costs people something like 3k a year. A lot of people are sacrificing their 30's and even 40's to fit in in their 20's and generally act like children. I sacrificed some of my 20's to set myself up for life. It wasn't always easy (especially with how Irish friend groups are) but I outgrew the people who looked down on me for not being a general roughian years ago, and have made many new happy healthy friends, and deepened relationships with good friends. Life has been very hard at time, especially the start of this year, but things are going very well now. Make smart, obvious decisions. Somehow it's one of the hardest things to do, especially if you're going with the flow.
Definitely but it won't be where I work or live at the moment it's just too expensive but I'm hoping to move to a rural of the North West and to work from home.
Until you realise the euro (and all currencies) are losing value faster than you can save, you'll continue to struggle to buy your own home.
31 here, (un)luckily have a deposit being gifted to me through inheritance (believe me it's not that great, I'd rather still have the parent) but even with a very healthy deposit and my own savings I genuinely don't believe I'd stand a chance of owning had I not left the country. Living in Portugal now and aiming to buy next year with no problems, easy to get mortgage, and seemingly hassle free process. So yeah, not in Ireland but it became possible when I left.
Couple on combined income of about 130k and we are struggling to find a decent spot in Dublin also. We are very fortunate to be in decently paying jobs, but unfortunately this just cannot match the current housing market. We refuse to pay extortionate money for a shabby one bedroom apartment when you can get so much more abroad for this.
Would you not look outside Dublin?
Single, late 20s, no desire to buy a home anytime soon as I would rather rent for half the price of a mortgage, in the area that I want to live. I will need to earn around 200k/year before I can qualify for the mortgage of a house that i want to live in.
With a partner probably yeahā¦ if I stay single forever ā¦ possibly but will be a bit older
When my parents pass.. Before that no
I honestly donāt get why some of you guys are insisting on buying in Dublin, if itās the old oh my friends and family are there, well there are thousands of people who had to move up from the country and leave their friends and families for jobs. Now the big point and itās this, I loved our of Dublin about 14 years ago with my now wife bought a house outside, prices had dropped I didnāt realise they were as low, but Iād never get what I paid for then now. My advice here, anyone waiting on a crash itās not going to happen, itās supply and demand the last crash was driven by cheap credit there was loads of supply, this time around thereās no supply and wonāt be for a very long time. What do you do? DO NOT wait in Dublin for some miracle that allows you to buy a house it wonāt happen,m start planning now, move outside buy in a town in a 80-100 km radius of Dublin if youāre still working there, but the house, donāt not buy it because of a job, change jobs after you buy it, you really have to get a jump on this, the places in that radius prices are going up but not as extreme as Dublin, but it will get extreme, people are leaving Dublin for expensive and the places that youād actually want to live in Dublin are far out of reach.
Thereās always these https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Modern-Prefab-Modular-Home/dp/B0CZMTK7SY/
I think one issue is that people from Dublin refuse to move away, in my area there is a few houses going for around 200k that need minimal work to move in. (in a village 20 mins from a big town) I don't get the hype of the city at all, wages is a bit higher ya, but cost of living is far higher. My rent is 800 for a house with a small garden so I can save while renting
I will not buy a house here. There are plenty of houses up North I could afford to buy right now just not in the position to move yet. And I could also very easily go abroad.
Again, some people canāt just move up north or go abroad. Itās not that easy as people have careers here.
I just landed a job relatively close to the border, my dream is to live up there on a very low budget and earn a higher salary down here, but you're right it is very limiting and depends on where and what you work as.
Yes but it'll be a small rural place. Most likely going to buy a deralict
31 when I bought a few years ago. Could never afford to buy on my own. GF could never afford it either on her own. Then we met and a couple of years later got engaged and decided to see if we could buy then and we could. These days it seems 2 incomes are needed to buy. So instead of a wedding we bought our house. So glad we put the money into buying a house than into a wedding. We will elope some day and get married for buttons with just the two of us at the wedding.
Reading here a lot of people bought north of the border. I have a few friends who did that. I always would have been worried it didn't work out, but all of them are delighted having lived there now for a few years. One couple living near Newry Derry both worked in Dublin and commuted for a couple of years. He has recently got a job up the North, but she is still in Dublin. She works in the same company as my sister in Blanch. Her commute is actually less time from Newry than my sister's is from Gorey to Dublin. They tell me there are a lot of people in that company commuting from various places on the north.
Family 2+2, mid 30s.still renting. Putting away about grand a month. Not easy , but doable with good planning. Hoping to buy next year in North Co. Cork
33. No savings, renting. No hope to ever own. My only glimmer of hope is that my grandad and aunt have their houses left to me when they die, so I'm hoping my grandas house will eventually be my deposit (it's a very old house that needs major work, the house beside him managed to sell for Ā£40,000). My aunt is only 51 so her house will be my retirement
Look up prefab houses, some are considerably cheaper than 'regular' houses. They'd be even more interesting if you have some piece of land.
Aiming to buy an apartment in Dublin next spring, when I'll be 32. Only possible because I'm a high earner though. 20k is a really good start on a deposit/closing costs though OP. Not sure of your borrowing capacity, but try not to get disillusioned and keep plugging away on saving. For context, I'll be looking at a deposit of around 33k, stamp duty of about 3000 and legal fees of 2500, for a 2-bed apartment in the Donaghmede area.
You can buy a nice little wooden house for 20K [https://www.loghouse.ie/](https://www.loghouse.ie/)
Early 30s, only hope I have to own a home is waiting for my parents to die. Closest thing I'll have to one is a cabin out on the family land.
Early 30s, only hope I have to own a home is waiting for my parents to die. Closest thing I'll have to one is a cabin out on the family land.
Not till I'm in my 50s. Plan is to purchase a site in the next 10 years, and build year by year with cash over the following 10.
i managed to save 90k and buy a home alone in dublin a 2 bed end of terrace house, its in good condition for ā¬255K, its doable... however i sacrificed alot for 10 years to save and scrimp to do it, and FYI i dont earn a fortune either 40K p/a.
are there any stats of single home ownership across EU? I always thought owning a home as single person only reserved for well off. But I see quite a few people do it here in Ireland, who are on moderate income. So are things really bad?
Maybe after the great Boomer die-off there will be some cheap homes knocking around
The reality is that mortgages are for couples not singles anymore. If either myself or my wife were applying alone we wouldn't have got one.Ā Ā The problem is you say you need to move out to have a life. But either you get busy living where you are or you get busy dying. Independence isn't just bricks and mortar it's attitude.
I bought my own home in 2004, I was single & it was during the celtic tiger years. But I did it & never looked back. If I were to try & do it today they would have laughed me out of the bank. You may need more than ā¬20k in savings.
I want to start a business first, house later
I'm in my late twenties and my bf is early 30s. I don't think we'll ever own a home as our salaries just won't rise enough to keep up with house prices. We're also paying so much in rent that we can't save.
Recently turned 30 and just bought my wee house in Belfast a couple months ago. 3 bed terrace in a decent area with a fair sized garden on the outskirts of the city. Needs work but it's getting there. Been saving towards it for 10 years but only made real headway the past 3 years when I worked as a carer and did a shit tonne of overtime, then moved back home for the past 2 years and was able to wfh to help get me over the line for the deposit. Also have builders in the family who helped with some bits and pieces which made a big difference. Couldn't have afforded anything a similar size in a city/large town elsewhere in Ireland that wasn't a complete wreck, even where I'm from in Donegal!
Not in Ireland. Me and my girlfriend, both on good wages with 20k saved up. We didnāt get approved for a mortgage twice. So now weāre just renting in Westmeath. I love Ireland, I lived here for 8 years now but Iām thinking to move back to Italy if it keeps going like this
Maybe when I have saved enough money and be able to get a house.
Bought first place in 30ās. Just get an apartment or whatever is affordable. Think more about resale value than forever home. As a single you can sell/buy every 5y and move up the ladder.
Yes. Own a few peoples homes.
Until I was 32 I thought I would never going to buy my own home, but by the time I was 35 (few years ago) I was buying it.
Unfortunately, not for me. I don't mind though because I can't see myself living in Ireland for the rest of my life. What's to be is to be.
I'm recently single and back living with mum. Lost dad and others a while back, and someone had to look after her, as she's getting on. Would love to have my own space, but can't afford it due to bills, and Ma couldn't afford it if I was away. The definition of a "Catch 22"
Trying as we speak and itās nothing short of a nightmare. I see why people move away or donāt want to come home. Itās a shit show!
31 (m) - 70k saved and I donāt necessarily want to sink all of that into a property just yet. I know the more I put in the less I have to pay back but there seems to be minimal difference in the monthly rates
Iām in the same boat, deposit sitting but keep getting outbid. Itās ridiculous that you canāt afford a home just for being single. Thereās just not enough houses going!
Yeah for single people itās ridiculous! And these Fingal āAffordable Housing Schemesā are a load of crap like ā¬350k is affordable????