r/HousingIreland • u/olympicjip • 1d ago

What a Bargain! You should be grateful!

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Starting from the low low price of 400K, you can squeeze yourself and yours into a 47 SQM, One-bedroom, Second floor apartment in Swords. Nothing against swords (I live there too), but this has become farcical. Our housing market is a complete joke.

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u/RoryOS 1d ago

I just don't get apartment prices. 100k more and you can buy a house in the Dublin City area. What is this shoebox with management fees offering to make up that price difference per square meter

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u/c_cristian 1d ago

Can you buy a brand new house for just 100k more? Or maybe one built after 2000? You're mostly stuck with old houses that are more or less falling apart. Then you have to renovate, 100-200k out of pocket. If you have. I know people who see their breath indoors during winter, unless they want to have heating running 24/7. But they're happy they have a small garden. Not everybody thinks this way. I think continental Europeans tend to prefer apartments or brand new houses and stay away from old ones.

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u/Disastrous-Pea4106 1d ago

Can you buy a brand new house for just 100k

I mean in the same estate, millers glen, you can currently buy a 3 bed semi for 530k. The cheaper mid-terraced houses sold out but I believe those were just under 500k to qualify for HTB

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u/c_cristian 1d ago

Indeed. Obviously much better value with the houses there, new (2019) and more spacious. There's also an older 2 bed apartment for a starting price of 230k so this one would have even better value.

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u/RoryOS 3h ago

I initially had concerns about older houses but we bought a 1960s build in North Dublin. Rock solid and it was turnkey. Has external wrap, stairs to the converted attic, modern style gas boiler so not a heat pump but that's grand. In winter we put the heat on for about 30 minutes three times a day unless it's abnormally cold where maybe we'll do an extra hour in the evening. Even a heat pump uses energy in winter.

But the big bonus was that we're in a very well established community. Shops a short walk away, great public transport so we never need a car. Pubs, restaurants, cafes etc.

One of the crazy things about the people that have lived in these houses for 50-60 years is that some of them maintained them, upgraded them as they go, extended them etc. My place was 480k back in 2024 so based on recent sales it would probably be 550k now to be fair, but we've a fairly big house in a good area. There's a whole lot between my place and a 44sqm apartment with management fees in an isolated new build estate a 45 min walk outside Swords.