Who In Their Right Mind

[vman7]

Can someone please explain to me who in their right mind would pay £495,000 ( half a million!!) for an apartment (flat) in belfast???

http://www.propertynews.com/brochure.php?r=1&c=938&s=118210888&i=233&p=TRLTRL54090&fp=1&sort=added

I would love to know if anyone is stupid enough to pay this for a flat?! If they are, i would love to know what they do for a living if they can sqaunder this kind of money.

I have read comments from people saying that there is only another 10% to go before we hit bottom - so £450,000 is rock bottom for this?

I think we have a heck of a way to go before we hit bottom IMHO. Only when sellers start being more realistic will we start seeing stability in the market but if they continue to ask/wait for boom prices then things are never going to pick up!!

[JJJ]

I feel that I can coment on this, having some experience of Northern Ireland. I used to live in Belfast, and over Christmas spent a week just outside Portadown.

Firstly, here is the first place I found for almost the same price on the the edge of Belfast:

http://www.propertypal.com/7-rosemount-avenue-stormont-belfast/109629

It is also overpriced, but for ******'s sake, the comparison twixt the two is laughable. There is something in the idea that a flat in the middle of London has a premium for location; I spent three years living in Zone 1 and two more years in Zone 2, and London is in many ways a nice place to live. Didn't need to own a car, and on any given day of the year at any time there was somewhere easily travelled to for something to eat and drink. Always something to do. Great cosmopolitan place. Plenty of work. I used to love humid summer evenings, just picking a direction at random and walking to a pub I'd never been to before.

Belfast not only has none of that, but Northern Ireland is a socially backwards self-pitying nowheresville. The attitudes towards foreigners, non-caucasians and non-mainstream sexualities are worse than as depicted in Life on Mars. A few years ago (literally, a few years ago) there was another spate of kicking in Chinese take-aways (or carry-outs, as they call them). Within the last two years, those Romanians had to flee for their own safety. Half the smart Northern Irishman with a good attitude I've ever met, I met outside Northern Ireland.

This price? For this crappy new-build flat? In Northern ******ing Ireland? In BELFAST? Jesus Christ, what are they thinking? ******'s sake, look at this one:

http://www.daft.com/searchsale.daft?id=547292&utm_source=nestoria&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=nestoria_sale

This one is in the ******ing centre of Belfast. Half a million for a four-bed in Belfast centre is still far too much, but compared to a flat? Someone is seriously kite-flying. NI had its first boom recently, missing out on the previous ones through dint of being too busy murdering each other for having identical religions but great-great-great-great grandfathers with a grudge, and now its having its first crash. Whoever wants to flog this is in serious denial.

Edited January 5, 2011 by JJJ

[vman7]

im from portadown myself - where were you working?

I think you are being a little harsh in some of your comments - yes are house prices are inflated, yes northern ireland does have a backward mentality, yes we hold grudges, yes we are murdering each other......oh wait maybe ur not being harsh......;-)

[dieselfreak]

This one is in the ******ing centre of Belfast. Half a million for a four-bed in Belfast centre is still far too much, but compared to a flat? Someone is seriously kite-flying. NI had its first boom recently, missing out on the previous ones through dint of being too busy murdering each other for having identical religions but great-great-great-great grandfathers with a grudge, and now its having its first crash. Whoever wants to flog this is in serious denial.

you sir are a fool, I'm off to get a mortgage and scoop up these great deals.

[JJJ]

im from portadown myself - where were you working?

I think you are being a little harsh in some of your comments - yes are house prices are inflated, yes northern ireland does have a backward mentality, yes we hold grudges, yes we are murdering each other......oh wait maybe ur not being harsh......;-)

I was down near Gilford.

I accept that I've by no means met everyone in the province; I was a little surprised myself by how vehemently I felt. I moved from Herne Hill in London to Belfast, and it was something of a culture shock. It took me a week to realise I hadn't seen any black people since Gatwick airport.

[salamander]

Ooh it's in a shiny building. I want two !

[vman7]

do we have any celebs who are wealthy enough to spend £750,000 on an average flat in belfast? if we do then surely they are not stupid enough to still be living here........

[Sogy]

Belfast not only has none of that, but Northern Ireland is a socially backwards self-pitying nowheresville. The attitudes towards foreigners, non-caucasians and non-mainstream sexualities are worse than as depicted in Life on Mars. A few years ago (literally, a few years ago) there was another spate of kicking in Chinese take-aways (or carry-outs, as they call them). Within the last two years, those Romanians had to flee for their own safety. Half the smart Northern Irishman with a good attitude I've ever met, I met outside Northern Ireland.

As I hope to return to NI, where I have been so happy, in the near future, I can only rejoice that the Teachers of Modern Enlightened Ways are not too eager to settle there too.

While the place is indeed backward and not completely peaceful as yet, it has its merits, and I love the people. Having come from afar, and not being entirely "Caucasian" (I dislike this PC euphemism, perhaps, because I know too well what Caucasus and the real Caucasians are), I had no trouble being largely accepted and making very good friends, on both sides of the divide. Trust me, these people (my friends) were quite tolerant, and their tolerance was worth a lot more than the superficial surrogate found in more enlightened parts. And, yes, they were definitely smarter, on average, than the people I used to live with in the States. So I'd much rather live there than in London, even if I have to do without the Romanian Gypsies and miss the fun of constantly worrying about my property.

As to the subject of the topic, I definitely would not buy that apartment, even if I could afford it. For a lot less I can have a nice house. That being said, I don't mind if meople with more money than common sense buy those apartments - at least the cash-strapped government will get some money from their stamp duty.

[shipbuilder]

Belfast just isn't big enough for a city centre apartment to be an advantage. The equivalent mansion with garden on the outskirts compensates just a wee bit for the odd taxi journey.....

[vman7]

i am currently looking to purchase an apartment in belfast but prices seem very high or is £130,000 for a 2 bed with one parking space the norm for an aprtment in belfast?

i was orignially looking to rent but £700 for a nice apartment is quite excessive and i thought surely that would more than cover a mortgage for said apartments

what to do - buy or rent? opinions please....

[shipbuilder]

I feel that I can coment on this, having some experience of Northern Ireland. I used to live in Belfast, and over Christmas spent a week just outside Portadown.

Firstly, here is the first place I found for almost the same price on the the edge of Belfast:

http://www.propertypal.com/7-rosemount-avenue-stormont-belfast/109629

It is also overpriced, but for ******'s sake, the comparison twixt the two is laughable. There is something in the idea that a flat in the middle of London has a premium for location; I spent three years living in Zone 1 and two more years in Zone 2, and London is in many ways a nice place to live. Didn't need to own a car, and on any given day of the year at any time there was somewhere easily travelled to for something to eat and drink. Always something to do. Great cosmopolitan place. Plenty of work. I used to love humid summer evenings, just picking a direction at random and walking to a pub I'd never been to before.

Belfast not only has none of that, but Northern Ireland is a socially backwards self-pitying nowheresville. The attitudes towards foreigners, non-caucasians and non-mainstream sexualities are worse than as depicted in Life on Mars. A few years ago (literally, a few years ago) there was another spate of kicking in Chinese take-aways (or carry-outs, as they call them). Within the last two years, those Romanians had to flee for their own safety. Half the smart Northern Irishman with a good attitude I've ever met, I met outside Northern Ireland.

This price? For this crappy new-build flat? In Northern ******ing Ireland? In BELFAST? Jesus Christ, what are they thinking? ******'s sake, look at this one:

http://www.daft.com/searchsale.daft?id=547292&utm_source=nestoria&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=nestoria_sale

This one is in the ******ing centre of Belfast. Half a million for a four-bed in Belfast centre is still far too much, but compared to a flat? Someone is seriously kite-flying. NI had its first boom recently, missing out on the previous ones through dint of being too busy murdering each other for having identical religions but great-great-great-great grandfathers with a grudge, and now its having its first crash. Whoever wants to flog this is in serious denial.

There's undoubtedly still plenty of hangover from the troubles, particularly the ghetto mentality and political classes, but many of the problems you describe aren't dissimilar to towns in the rest of the UK. Personally, London is great as a twentysomething, but now I would prefer the more relaxed pace of life here.

I actually would argue that for the ambitious starting a business, there is greater potential here - more room for entry to relatively untapped markets, than the rest of the UK, and greater rewards once house prices return to normality.

[Sogy]

Don't forget the food Sogy - I vote it's the best in the world.

I beg to differ on this count, Doccyboy France and Belgium are much better food-wise, and a lot of countries are significantly better.

As to friends, family, and community being ready to help you - this is true, and you don't get much of it in the developer worlds outside NI.

[Sogy]

i am currently looking to purchase an apartment in belfast but prices seem very high or is £130,000 for a 2 bed with one parking space the norm for an aprtment in belfast?

i was orignially looking to rent but £700 for a nice apartment is quite excessive and i thought surely that would more than cover a mortgage for said apartments

what to do - buy or rent? opinions please....

For a reason unknown, apartments are grossly overpriced in Belfast as compared to houses (and don't forget those condo fees).

Buy or rent, I'd definitely recommend a house.

[yadayada]

and London is in many ways a nice place to live. Didn't need to own a car, and on any given day of the year at any time there was somewhere easily travelled to for something to eat and drink. Always something to do. Great cosmopolitan place. Plenty of work. I used to love humid summer evenings, just picking a direction at random and walking to a pub I'd never been to before.

Belfast not only has none of that, but Northern Ireland is a socially backwards self-pitying nowheresville. The attitudes towards foreigners, non-caucasians and non-mainstream sexualities are worse than as depicted in Life on Mars. A few years ago (literally, a few years ago) there was another spate of kicking in Chinese take-aways (or carry-outs, as they call them). Within the last two years, those Romanians had to flee for their own safety. Half the smart Northern Irishman with a good attitude I've ever met, I met outside Northern Ireland.

This price? For this crappy new-build flat? In Northern ******ing Ireland? In BELFAST? Jesus Christ, what are they thinking? ******'s sake, look at this one:

http://www.daft.com/searchsale.daft?id=547292&utm_source=nestoria&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=nestoria_sale

This one is in the ******ing centre of Belfast. Half a million for a four-bed in Belfast centre is still far too much, but compared to a flat? Someone is seriously kite-flying. NI had its first boom recently, missing out on the previous ones through dint of being too busy murdering each other for having identical religions but great-great-great-great grandfathers with a grudge, and now its having its first crash. Whoever wants to flog this is in serious denial.

Someone got a little intolerance problem here? What a bigot.

[JJJ]

Someone got a little intolerance problem here? What a bigot.

That's me. Lived there, watched one half of the community throwing stones at children on their way to school, decided I really didn't like it. I am extraordinarily intolerant of people throwing stones at children on their way to school.

Edited to say: You're damn right I'm intolerant, and if you're on some Guardian inspired hyper-tolerant "all behaviour is acceptable" trip, I'm impressed with (and frightened by) your moral ambiguity.

Edited January 6, 2011 by JJJ

[yadayada]

That's me. Lived there, watched one half of the community throwing stones at children on their way to school,

One half of the community? Goodness me - 800,000 people. That's a lot of stones.

Edited to say: You're damn right I'm intolerant, and if you're on some Guardian inspired hyper-tolerant "all behaviour is acceptable" trip, I'm impressed with (and frightened by) your moral ambiguity.

Not really. I'm not defending anyone's malice, even yours, but I've seen a fair bit of seething nastiness everywhere I've lived, and the Great Wen is no exception. The remains of a bus on Tavistock Square five years ago convinced me of that. Perhaps the inevitable introduction of Sharia Law to England will solve it.

[Sogy]

Perhaps the inevitable introduction of Sharia Law to England will solve it.[/b]

That will surely make England cosmopolitan enough! The only casualty will be the people of not-so-mainstream "sexual orientation", who may get decapitated.

[JJJ]

Not really. I'm not defending anyone's malice, even yours, but I've seen a fair bit of seething nastiness everywhere I've lived, and the Great Wen is no exception. The remains of a bus on Tavistock Square five years ago convinced me of that. Perhaps the inevitable introduction of Sharia Law to England will solve it.

I really don't see what point you're making. That there are people outside NI who kill each other? You might as well make the point that water's wet.

Edited January 7, 2011 by JJJ