2018 has not started off on a good note for me – I’ve been quite sick and what’s even more concerning is that nobody could figure out what’s wrong with me and I felt like I was falling into a deep dark hole… When you’re unwell it gets you thinking about your life, future (if any) and many other things you haven’t considered before.
I have never ever wanted to live in Ireland forever, it was never a part of the plan. The recent events made me rethink this idea as my family and friends brought me so much comfort and support. It got me thinking: Will I have this abroad? What will happen if I get sick again? Will I make new friends? (See what your mind can do to you?). During my time off work I went to visit a friend who recently bought a house and I FELL IN LOVE.
The house was absolutely stunning and one of a kind. All white everything with grey furnishings – Pinterest Worthy! That day it got me thinking that I cannot wait to have my own home. One that I will design myself and one that I will be able to call my OWN. This is how an inspiration for this post was born.
Getting Ready
Once you start thinking about a possibility or buying/building a house you need to have the $$$. It takes time to save for the deposit and show the banks that you can save and manage the repayments. Hence why you need to be in a decent job like right now. If you’re not, then it’s time to start hunting for one – better pay, benefits, less travel expenses – believe me I have gone through this recently and it will be so worth it. In the current state the banks will lend you 3.5 times of your joint gross income, i.e. if you both earn 30 thousand a year, then your joint gross income is 60 thousand; this means in theory you should be entitled to borrow 210 thousand provided all of your affairs are in order.
You need to think ahead, don’t leave these things to last-minute as this might set you back 2 or 3 years.
Expectations Vs. Reality
You need to really do a personality check between yourself & your husband/partner. Can you save X Amount? What area would you like to live in? Can you afford to live there? Are there schools nearby? Is is accessible for work? All of those things need to be considered. The amount you’re able to borrow might not be enough for your current living area and that’s where reality check comes in. You might need to look further out.
Another thing to decide – are you going to buy or build? If buy – new or “2nd hand”. If build – do you have the patience to do that? Can you buy a land in the desirable area? Does the land come with planning permission? How to source good suppliers? All of those things must be considered before you even step your foot in the bank asking them for money. Keep in mind that in Dublin area there is next to no land available and to buy a land somewhere in the country you must show family ties to the area, you can’t just simply want to buy anywhere you like – yes this makes things a little more complicated.
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Ireland is known to be one of the most expensive places to live. Here’s an example:
Ireland – Kildare Area
3 Bedroom House (1 En-suite, 1 “double” & 1 Single (Box) Room) 2.5 Bath, living room, kitchen located in an estate with a small garden & neighbors all around is approx. €300.000-€325.000 minimum.
USA – Upstate New York
3 Bedroom House (3 Doubles – 1 of them En-suite) 2.5 Bath, Living Room x 2, kitchen overlooking a lake, 2 acres of land, plenty of privacy is approx. $175.000.
Can you see the difference?
Now, do not get discouraged when you see the prices, again be realistic with how much you can comfortably pay off; how much you’re willing to pay monthly – remember you will most likely be paying this for the rest of your life, so you want to pick a sum that will allow you to still live comfortably, enjoy yourself – have a nice car and go on a holiday.
What I can suggest is, get the basics in – Kitchen, Bathroom and 1 bedroom and you’re good to move in and stop paying rent elsewhere. The sooner you are in your own property the quicker you will start saving! It’s your house, therefore you can wait to have the rest finished! Heck, that’s what I’ll do. Paying rent to someone else’s bank account is dead money!
Pinterest is like that better looking sister/friend you have. You look in the mirror and think “Gosh, I look quite well today!” and then you see your friend and all of a sudden you feel rubbish! By all means, take as much inspiration from Pinterest as you wish – just don’t let it bring you down and make you feel bad about your current situation. Pinterest only shows the IDEAL world – that’s an important thing to remember.
Remember, at the end of the day Pinterest is a hugely successful visual marketing tool, where people “Pin Their Dreams Away”. You can have a house of your dreams, just take Pinterest with a pinch of salt, as most of the beautiful imagery you see there, took hours to put together just for 1 photograph.
Shop Around
Once you are happily in your new home or if you’re at a “nesting” stage of buying few home-ware bits here and there for your new home take a look around. There are plenty of affordable chic home-ware shops in your area and you don’t need to spend a fortune. For starters Primark are bringing out the best styling products for your home, from copper coated goods to the trendy marble cushions and prints. Another great however underrated place to go is your local Tescos. They really upped their game in the home section. They have beautiful wall hangings, clocks and prints. Their fluffy throws are to die for. If you are looking for more unique, once off pieces then TK Maxx is the place to go; it mightn’t be as affordable as Tescos and Primark however its worth having something different to everyone else.
For my Polish followers I can suggest two amazing home-ware shops which are JYSK and PEPCO as we don’t have the likes of Primark these two shops really make up for the lack of it and they’re super affordable.
Lastly, don’t be put off by going into your local charity shop. Recently, I went in with a donation and whilst I was there I just had a quick scan of the shop and oh my! Some of the things were like 50c; where would you be going with that! Honestly, these are underrated and there’s absolutely no shame in buying from your local charity shop – and remember you’re doing the world of good, by supporting these shops. If you follow Dainty Dress Dairies you will know that when she first bought her house she bought majority of her things second-hand or got it for free from Adverts.ie etc and look how beautifully her home turned out.
Images: Dainty Dress Diaries Instagram
I hope you enjoyed some of the tips I have shared with you today. The photography I used in this post is for visual purposes only from Pinterest and some of my lovely fellow bloggers via Instagram. If there’s one thing you can take out of this post is, don’t be hung up on the beautiful world of visual marketing we seem to live in via Pinterest and Instagram and enjoy what you have and can afford. Don’t ever overspend.
Joanna Stich 
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