The ugly truth about housing here .

 

First of all I need to let You know one my Dear Reader . Before i moved to Ireland i  never  had have to rent a room . 

It was exactly in opposite . We were renting rooms in my family house . Well .My parents were not managing well with 5 kids. Honestly it was a miracle happened that they built this house . Well however our living conditions were not on the high standard but anyway it was spacious enough . But this is another story .

So draw  from daughter of the owners to tenant was  such  interesting. As i mentioned we didn't know about deposit which was requested to pay . It wasn't something  what  we were practicing in Poland that time . It has been changed over there after joining to  EU . 

But we didn't have any idea ,any clue . Both we were adults still living with parents what was a shame . It was a very important reason why we came to Ireland :

To gain our autonomy . I must admit that I'm so grateful that i did't become a homeless and it wasn't even a one night without a roof over during over 16 years of my living here. 

So let me share how it is in fact over here when You still don't have anything  on Your own . What I must notice in Ireland housing is based more on renting . I guess because of that houses owners are called landlords 

My tale is begin from 

41 Hughes Mills Apartment 

My first place in Ireland .

 

It was a lovely building ;complex of apartments made from a stones beautifully located over the river . It was so impressive . That's really a big place with laundry and internet cafe and fitness club on the basement level .So a lot of space .What about our standard well . We had provided whatever is essential for a living . Walls would be painted at least ,to be honest . Anyway it was something what i had been used to . So i wasn't shocked . We had a very large living room with old fashioned couches in number of three .In fact we could run around .Bedrooms were located upstairs with shared bathroom .I think this is always the most firing point in every place where You share accommodation. But it was an option for somebody who preferred to have own bathroom downstairs . It was just a smaller size . During my staying there i have been changing my room a few times .All was depending from current situation . And by this about one and half year time,it  happened a lot . 

For the first three weeks i was not officially living there .So basically I must been hidden and use all facilities very carefully . For a most parts of my days i was staying outdoor and waiting until Jola will call me and allow come in . 

I got a possibility to take  a room for my own in cause that one of tenants left. As i had got my first job i could make this decision about staying in Ireland ,in Clonmel and Hughes Mills too . 

Well .It would be better to move somewhere else but i can't change it now . 

I thought that maybe Jola needs me anyway for some chance . I was so wrong . 

What was a good news we were not obligated to rent a whole apartment ; everyone was paying just  for a room only .What was a bad news ;agency was sending anyone they got . It was nothing to do about .

For a first six months they haven' found anybody so we were happy just with Jola. 

Hey.Wait a min .She wasn't happy at whole .  And she decided spread her unhappiness on me ,what was putting me down and made me thinking negatively about our life here ,about people's mindset ,food ,culture and i was  simply homesick . 

It was a dark chapter of this story . Don't worry it was more funny later . I'm not exaggerate .

She began save money badly  Lights were off or eventually not strong that much . 

Darkness were around . We were watching out spends .I was informed about any promotions going  on around . We emigrants usually focus on our goals .One of my old friend who lives in UK advised  vacation perception and  see my living there like a camp. . 

My family and friends in Poland live in better accommodation's standard . 

And housing  is one of the biggest problem  here. This is unbelievable and shame  how much landlords can ask for something what is just simple rubbish 

You cant even imagine . But whenever we go visit we must unsure our dear families and friends that we are   living here just like in paradise . They think that money is growing on the tree  just  simply like that . But hey.Many of us like impress them and act a rich guys wow ; that is just  show off , but in fact  they are living in basement and searching a reductions in the evenings in supermarkets .That's our high life reality . 

Because Islands were not destroyed during a war we still have old buildings around with Georgian Architecture . Isolation is very poor and maybe winters are not strong ,but very windy . If You are lucky then You have central heating ,but  in mostly  places everything is on electricity power . Heating is not good enough when temperature drops below zero . And this can happen quite often in winter time . 

I wanted to live in the big city perhaps Clonmel wasn't such an interesting place for a longer for a crazy Polish city girl . 

In that time You could double  rent cost ,so was so expensive . Was such difficult to find anything in comprehensive renting value .Later on became so hard to get a job as we experienced a big economy recession ,but it had impact in whole the World . 

What happened for me, i  had got a  good job in Clonmel again  when i tried  move to Dublin  the first time ,so whole our stuff which we brought to Dublin went back to Clonmel for another year . 

After another nice but boring time during i did night shelves stocking in Tesco it was another impulse to do second  trial .Plan was apply for transfer to Tesco in Dublin but after a few weeks of sleeping after my night job experience i decided ask for my P -45  and start search another job . 

My first night in the new flat was like a nightmare . It was such disgusting , terribly dirty after a Pakistani guys living there before .I could find cigarette beats on the carpet , refrigerator was not for use for me perhaps too dirty to keep any food in that moment . Shower basement looked like damaged , but there were stains not cleaned up from a years . By the way .I overlooked damps on the wall and sealing in bathroom .Maybe just bedroom looked acceptable in that place .

It took a days for me to improve and make it possible to live there . 

Obviously i made it cosy ,;well at least able to live in . 

What was a big inconvenience in that place it has been fact that we didn't have a washing machine . So it was a big operation every week  perhaps we must to go to our laundry to the local laundrette  . Usually it was taking a afternoon what was making exhausted .

What is some kind of fenomen that I have found a job very close from our living place and in fact I'm still working there and also  I still like live in Dublin 6. Well .It was just episode which happened for a one and half year ,when I had to find any emergency accommodation in fact that i faced a massive crisis which came a few years ago and we don't see it over even though pandemic time .But i went a much ahead .

Back to the my first place after a many washing sessions  at public laundrette and some arguments about painting which just was needed to do so i decided find something better . 

Atmosphere became more friendly for this decision perhaps celtic tiger got in trouble and became a baunkrupt . Before jobs were available but rent coast high but when economy collapsed rent also dropped . Actually Dublin is under so many construction projects still in progress .Is the same like with pandemic ; never ending story,perhaps after recovery accommodation became crazily expensive,what our lovely government is not really in power to fix . It seems like ,and we ordinary people still don't see fruits of so many investments which have been done around .If I guess correctly even after it will be done that's going be standard just for a rich but not for working class. 

 

But that time was much friendly for people who eventually wanted to make Dublin their city . 

I had landlords asking about any friends who would love to take a studio flat even with central  heating .

So it was  a good occasion to change for something else . 

We choose 2 floor one bed apartment in cool location still during renovation .

Well . I don't believe that i have done something crazy like that again . No .You don't have any idea what it means . 

Maybe just start work in shop before opening can be something more mad than to decide move in to the place which You don't know how in fact will be look like . I don't need even mention here about this domestic job . To get over all this painting and other mess is taking a few day normally . I really don't have idea how was possible set double bed in the bedroom on the top floor . I must adore this kind of master piece .Anyway like used to i was able to  figure out with whole this stuff .

 

 

But hold on . I have more stories ready to tell......... 

 

Single or sharing .

 

This is always major aspect of living abroad ;share or not to share .

I  would say that sweet studio flat is always a better option . Obviously You suppose to make Your place sweet otherwise don't count that landlord  will do it for You , even if is obliged to do it so . I think i  have developed  this unique skill to the master level . That is my magic ;great ability change  and transfer  awful hub into a such lovely place . 

I was used to in Poland so what is a matter . In the same way we can be surprised when we see a five or seven of Brazilian living in one room . And impressively they are happy . What is a difference with how many do You share . Well  . For someone like me this is a massive deal . 

But i went ahead with this story . We have got Brazilian flood later on . 

Let's back to my new place in South Richmond Street . OK . It was fresh after renovation ; one bed but two floors absolutely cool idea . Finally i had my own washing machine and didn't hear this noise which my lovely neighbours made during the nights consistently on party . And hey . They just were starting at two or three am . They were relative of owner so they thought that they can do whatever they like and I can put stoppers into my ears  if this noise was interrupting me . 

I thought that in the  other flat in this house would be  quiet but perhaps it was located in some distance from my lovely neighbours but I was totally wrong because on other side I had take away bar opened till five or six am where they were playing music . Also it was one man living upstairs and he was so loud whenever he got drunk . 

I had distraction from all sides from down ,from back ,beyond and from above . 

It was my happy living in crazy Dublin 2 

However that great location , even though that i was so well organised and cool places for a fun were available such close ; I can't count all those good nights which i had in pub just across a road ,or despite that i had a good central heating , this consist noise and party life ,when I had go to work in the morning began be too difficult to bear with . I decided quit that place and find a new one . So as You see fact that You have place for Your own doesn't guaranty living in peace if You have a nasty neighbourhood 

You need to know that find a good accommodation in city like Dublin in comprehensive and reasonable rate of rent is like find a partner . Who knows what is more difficult . 

And finally i got a mine sweet place . i think that i probably used all mine charming personality variety ,so  this man .who was looking after became just enchanted . I recall  this special feeling when I got a keys .I was so happy in fact i had  found it !

My  famous place .

 

This is a special area in Rathmines . Is closed ,perhaps that's square . For this reason everybody knows well each other and all are my customers because my shop is the nearest from this place . All buildings are originally from XIX century . There are also tennis  courts and bowling club ,what completing unique atmosphere of this place . Its tradition ,that they are organizing picnic in summer time . I have been living happily for a three and half years over there . Well . Maybe only Tom who was living upstairs annoyed me with His radio on till late . He was proving that i was making noise during my  late cooking time . 

Anyway this man ,who was managing this property fixed window for me and painted ,what he wasn't willing to do for  Red - Spanish  - Moroccan guy who lived downstairs . So I have got happy preferences so .