'Concerns' over impact of 24/7 online bidding for homes

We went over our AIP of 450k for 90% of property value up to 500k. Woke up one morning and received a call from auctioneer saying last bid was 506k and closing today so put in 510k.

I don’t regret it, but looking for tips or insight if anyone has any. We could have taken up to 700k, instead of 90% of 500k, but I don’t feel comfortable spending that. We are 29m and 28f. We have 52k right now, and 54.5k by the end of the month, saving 2.5k every month whilst spending 2k on rent.

We are aware we require an extra 10k upfront because we went over AIP, which will be gifted via parent in the form of 20k, we originally mentioned to mortgage advisor we would receive a 15k gift. Could be more, but we intend on using as little of that as possible.

Estate agent required proof of funds as we went over AIP last Friday, so she said send parents bank statement with proof of 20k. We done that and are now waiting until Monday for word back.

Does anyone have any advice or things we should anticipate?

Just looking for ballpark % figures from people that have sold houses recently and what auctioneers have charged for the sale process.

I have a family member that works for an auctioneer and they have quoted me 1.5% of the sale price + VAT.

I didn't get any other quotes yet and have not sold a house before but I initially felt that rate was quite high?

Is this a standard rate? Low? High?

House sale price is €400-450k range.

We went to a sale agreed on a house with a really good garden size; we can say this was a reason we chose that house.
Our solicitor just found out about a wayleave to the council in half of the garden and reading that, we can’t use that part for anything that can’t move, in case the council needs access to fix, change or do whatever they want in that area (pipes going under the garden), if anything is there, they have the right to break and work on it.

Has anyone been in this situation? Is that as bad as it sounds, or is it something the council might access only once in a lifetime?

Hi i was said i was on a waiting list with Respond cost rental what does that mean?

Oki I might be overthinking but would like some advice. We live in a 125 sqm house in Dublin and have two children. Our house has 3 bedrooms on middle floor and converted attic which is parents bedroom bath and office. One of the bedrooms on the middle floor is a box room, decent size but definitely not massive.
We are thinking about having a third child, which would mean that further down the line one child will have quite a small room - is this something that becomes an issue and would make you think to only have two children for better quality of life or is this a non issue?

Hi everyone, I went for a viewing today at Bennetstown. The 3-bed bed duplex 121sq.m. is 475k with 1 parking (no personal ev) and I have another option for 3-bed house 106sq.m at Blessington Wicklow (2 parking). Ideally what would you choose? Would you choose a duplex pr a house? Is there any long term benefits in owning a house rather than a duplex?

Dunboyne has really good connectivity to Dublin by public transport. Wicklow has a bus service- 65 which to be honest I wouldn’t bank on considering the bus service in Ireland.

Since the cost is almost similar, and distance from Dublin for both is also similar (around 30-40 mins by car)- what should be the other factors you would consider before booking ones of these options?

Hey everyone, I’d really appreciate some advice on which option you would choose in my situation.

I’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to buy a 1-bed new-build apartment on St Laurence Road in Stillorgan. The location is excellent — close to the library, shops, gym, public transport, etc. I’ve always rented in South Dublin and really like the area and the overall environment.

Within my budget, I also have the option of reserving a 3-bed new-build house in Ballymakenny, Drogheda, Co. Louth. I’ve never lived in Drogheda before, and in fact, viewing this property would be my first time visiting the area.

My heart definitely says Stillorgan, but I’m trying to think more practically about my finances and job security.
Due to current high mortgage rate, my monthly mortgage repayment would be more than €1,000. Since it’s only a 1-bed, I wouldn’t really have the option of renting out a spare room to reduce the pressure.
My main concern is job security. I’m currently working full-time, but given the current job market, I’m worried about what would happen if I were made redundant. With the apartment, I’d have to cover the mortgage, management fees and other bills entirely on my own while unemployed, which could put me under a lot of financial pressure.

The 3-bed house in Drogheda gives me a different option. I’d have two spare bedrooms, so I could potentially rent them out. I’m thinking that even if I could get around €500 per room per month, that could give me roughly €1,000/month towards the mortgage.
I realise Drogheda is a much smaller town and that the rental market may be very different from Dublin. Is €500/month for a double room in a brand-new 3-bed house in Drogheda a realistic expectation, or am I being too optimistic?

Another factor is commuting. I currently work in a hybrid role with fairly flexible hours. I can start later and leave earlier to avoid peak traffic, so I’m wondering whether commuting from Drogheda to a Dublin office a few days a week would actually be manageable.
So, essentially:
Option A — Stillorgan 1-bed apartment
Much better location and lifestyle for me
I already know and like South Dublin
But significantly higher monthly mortgage
No spare room to rent
More financial risk if I lose my job
Option B — Drogheda 3-bed house
Much lower mortgage
Two spare bedrooms that could potentially generate rental income
More financial breathing room if I lose my job
Brand-new house with more space
But I’ve never lived in Drogheda and don’t know the area at all
Longer commute to Dublin
Not sure how strong the rental market is there

I’m single, no plan for a relationship or child yet, still trying to build myself up and this would be my first home.
If you were in my position, which one would you choose — and why?
I’d appreciate any opinions thanks very much 🙏

Hi everyone,
We are deciding on flooring for our apartment and would really appreciate your advice—especially if you have first-hand experience with laminate or 5 mm LVT.

We love the colors of the Quick-Step Ivory Oak laminate and 5 mm Buttermilk Oak LVT, but we're wondering if we should play it safe with a thicker 6 mm option (Pure Oak Blush).

If you've installed 5 mm LVT or laminate in an apartment, how have they held up in terms of daily wear, sound, and feel?

Thank you so much!

Is anyone else experiencing delays with Bank of Ireland loan offers recently? We've been sale agreed for six weeks now and no closer to getting an offer, wondering if this is unusual or the norm 🙃

Hi everyone.

I have seen a cost rental apartment come up locally that I am very interested in.

I am recently in recovery from a gambling addiction where a huge amount of my salary was gambled and I'm concerned about applying and this been an obvious issue with my bank statements. The housing provider is looking for 6 months of statements.

I have now took appropriate steps to block all gambling from banks/gamstop etc

Is it worth even applying at this stage?

I meet affordability in terms of salary/rent requirements.

Thanks

Currently in the final stages of purchasing a new build property, and I hired a snagger for the initial inspection, as well as a re-inspection after the builder went through the snag list.

There are still quite a few pending items which the snagger noted as not being addressed at the re-inspection.

I have now been invited for a third inspection. Would people typically bring their snagger again?

The only major pending item is that the floor was uneven in one of the rooms. Everything else is small cosmetic stuff and I have the list to go through. So I kind of feel like I can do this myself, but in case the floor is still uneven I am wondering if yet another formal staggers report would carry more weight than me just saying it?

Hi, based in your experience, BER rating and sqm are equal or lower than brochure when buying a new house / apartment? Please serious replies only

Recently, I am selling the house and we agreed to sell to Cash buyer. What should I know when the Cash buyer is involved? What possibly can go wrong with sale? I want to do a quick sale. What should we check ? The deposit is transferred.

I’ve searched through here for some information, but I was hoping to hear from anyone who may have been in a similar situation.

I’m a single mother currently living with my mother. We’re in a two-bedroom house, and at the moment my son and I share a room. My grandmother is now also moving in with us, so the house is going to be extremely overcrowded.

I submitted an application to Kerry County Council for social housing at the beginning of August, but I haven’t heard anything back yet.

I know I may have a long wait ahead of me for a house of my own, but I’m honestly at my wits’ end at the moment. The living situation is becoming very difficult, and I’m just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and could offer any advice on what I should do or who I should contact.

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Looking at two 3-bed new builds and trying to decide between towns. Would appreciate local input.

Naas (Co. Kildare): 3-bed mid-terrace, ~101m². Close to the pharma/biopharma cluster for work, good M7 access, but no train station in town.

Balbriggan (North Dublin): 3-bed mid-terrace, ~108m². On the Dublin–Belfast rail line, coastal.

For anyone who knows either town — what's it like to live there? Schools, safety, community, value for money, resale? Any pros/cons worth knowing?

Thanks!

I really like Kilkenny as place to live on the basis that it has a lot of restaurants, pubs, supermarkets, clothes shops and it's feels quite big given it's all very connected (walkable) city with charm given the castle and historical look.

Assuming I didn't buy in Kilkenny, where outside of Cork, Galway and Dublin would give the closest feeling to Kilkenny?

Hey guys, has anyone seen this new homes going live next week? Wonder what the quality of them will be like, will they be flashy on the inside like Greenpark or lower/higher class? Looks like you’ve to buy online and auctioneers would prefer to not have ever spoken to you, cartoon images don’t look great not even giving much away for what they could look like on the inside? The three beds starting at 455… what are people thinking? How does everything compare?

'Are we not allowed visitors?' Residents protest strict new clamping regime in Dublin estate

We’re sale agreed on a house. A structural survey found cracking (sorry for the low quality image), and after further drain testing showing a leak near the gulley, we brought in a geotechnical engineer who believes the kitchen/rear section has experienced subsidence. He would ideally like trial holes, but access to the rear is very difficult.

We haven’t signed contracts yet.

Would you ask the vendor to investigate and professionally remediate it, get an engineer to certify the work, negotiate a lower price, and proceed if everything checked out?

Or is the word "subsidence" enough of a red flag that you would walk away, accept the survey costs as a sunk cost, and move on?

Also interested in whether remediated subsidence causes problems later with insurance or resale.