Buying a House, East Belfast, Dundonald, Holywood, Bangor...

nozzadamozza

Hi There everyone
about a year ago i got loads of help on here in finding somewhere to rent in Belfast. A year on and the landlady has just called me to say she wants to put the house on the market as the house prices are going up (:rolleyes:)

Anyway, we are at the point ourselves that even though we feel prices have further to fall, if she does manage to sell, we will have to eithe buy or rent.

In addition to hubby and me and our cat, we now have a little baby boy to home, and to be honest i am getting to that point that i am tired of renting and not being able to call somewhere your home can get you down (we still have things in boxes since last year!!)

So I think my actions will be to look at houses we like and put in realistic offers (say around the rateable value and not the inflated price some estate agents will be hoping for)

We have been living off the Bemont Road in the east of the city and we really like it - so my longwinded question is- does any one have any recommendations of areas in the east, dundonald, hollywood, bangor etc that are good, realistically priced areas to live in (my hubby has been offered a ridiculously high mortgage but we want to spend £130000 at the very max). What areas are a no -no- eg there seems to be areas on the Newtownards road that are a bit hairy, whilst at the top of it is very nice...we have been saving our deposit for the past year and have been reading quite a bit about the housing situation on sites like housepricecrash..but want to make sure that the house we find is in a decent area..

Any help or suggestions will be gratefully received

ballyblack

say around the rateable value

Me thinks you will be very lucky to get one in a good area at the rateable value, even in today's depressed market!!

Some Semi's in the more attractive areas of North Down area are more like rateable value plus 50%

nozzadamozza

Ideally, we would have liked to have held off buying until sometime next JUne, as it is indicated that prices may still fall and means we would have a bigger deposit but we have been pushed into this by the landlady and am open to suggestions on areas:)

ballyblack wrote: »

Me thinks you will be very lucky to get one in a good area at the rateable value, even in today's depressed market!!

Some Semi's in the North Down area are more like rateable value plus 50%

seatzie

out of curiosity what sort of house are you hoping to get for £130k?

prices in this area won't fall much further if at all, there are a lot of SOLD boards going up especially in Dundonald, you could look at Coopers Mill's next release and see if they have anything in your range, or look further afield Ballynahinch, Ballywalter to get very good houses at £130k - the asking prices for my area in Dundonald are again at early 2007 levels from what I've seen around me, obviously until someone stumps up the cash for the asking price it means nothing but theres gotta be a reason why they're starting at those prices

nozzadamozza

ideally we would like a semi-detached but would also like a terraced- I guess it would need to be three bed rooms..will check out your suggestions:)

seatzie wrote: »

prices in this area won't fall much further if at all, there are a lot of SOLD boards going up especially in Dundonald, you could look at Coopers Mill's next release and see if they have anything in your range, or look further afield Ballynahinch, Ballywalter to get very good houses at £130k - what sort of house are you hoping to get for £130k?

x12yhp

seatzie wrote: »

prices in this area won't fall much further if at all

Oh for goodness sakes! 2 years ago there was no way prices would fall inspite of flawed fundamentals. Prices in E. Belfast have not actually dropped so far because the vast majority simply have refused to accept offers (simple analysist of sales volumes are proof of this). So what has gotten better in the world and NI that means that the market can support itself at the present level!? Where is the money coming from given higher levels of employment, low wages, minimal wage inflation, stricter lending practices and a population which has, for the first time in its lifetime, experienced that "safe as houses" is not the wisest of phrases.....

It is all well and good having a belief but you have made a blunt statements as if it is fact and you have, as is frequently the case on this forum, provided nothing more than tenuous anecdote as supposed explanation for your facts.

Internet 101 - experts are frequently idiots in disguise.

seatzie

ohhh someone got out of bed on the wrong side

<Prices in E. Belfast have not actually dropped so far because the vast majority simply have refused to accept offers >

thus proving my point prices have not dropped - if people don't sell you can't buy houses at the low price you want, not saying its right telling you what I see from looking round me......if you wish to call me an idiot step up to the plate and back up your opinions.........

as usual someone disagrees with an opinion (and we're all entitled to one) and gets personal on it...........sounds like someone is a frustrated potential purchaser? you have your opinion mate I don't claim to be right just expressing my view

seatzie

nozzadamozza wrote: »

ideally we would like a semi-detached but would also like a terraced- I guess it would need to be three bed rooms..will check out your suggestions:)

generally - and lets hope x12yhp doesn't bite my head off - if you move a little bit further out of town than East Belfast you will get better value housing - having recently been looking at houses myself in these further out areas, this is what I base my opinion on......

nozzadamozza

what we want is a decent family home at a relatively decent price in a decent area- I have read that some banks will only give mortgage at the mo based on the rateable value but not sure if this is thew case as i notice halifax have house on at above the rv

leftieM

A useful strategy might be to scour the estate agents for repossessions. I know UPS are approved to sell them. It might be worth building a relationship with your local branch and they might give you the nod when stuff comes in.

itsmylife_2

There are a few terrace houses in Dundonald for around £130k at the moment, might be worth a look? Philip Johnston Estate agents seem to have the most boards up, but also some with UPS and Halifax...

edited to add: just looked on philip Johnston's website and the ones at £130k are sale agreed, theres a 2 bedroom semi on there for £125k...