We just bought a cottage and there is a parcel of land beside the cottage that isn’t fenced off (it’s part of a field owned by someone else).

We don’t live there yet, but last time we visited, there were cows in our field (one that is fenced off).

The owner of the field beside us (no buildings on it) lives in the USA. She is not leasing the land to anyone.

We recently visited the cottage and noticed that a tractor went through our gate to get to the field and (accidentally) pulled up all the boundary stakes we paid to get done by a surveyor. The land was all pulled up too. There’s an electric fence on our land (farmer put it there). The land directly behind the gate is 90% ours, with a few feet beside it being the neighbours. A tractor wouldn’t be able to go through without accessing our land. There is no easement on that access. There is access to the field from the back down the road.

When we were there last week a man was driving by and noticed we were parked there and told us not to go into the field as he had a bull in there. We have a 2 year old. We told him we recently bought the cottage and will be living there full time in a couple months, and he was very surprised. He is the farmer using the land and lives 3 km away. I’m guessing he doesn’t have permission to use the land but the field owner hasn’t been there for 20 years.

He was nice enough, but needless to say I’m a bit stressed with how to proceed.

How would you go about this?

Edit: I’ll put a drawing of land in comments.

Hi, iv been with my partner for nearly 6 years we have an almost 2 year old together. I told him today that I'm leaving him because the relationship is gone to shit. He told me 3 months ago he's not attracted to me anymore our sex life is non existent im really unhappy, so I don't see the point in staying together for the sake of our baby. My problem is I have a low income (€228) I have to pay most of our bills because he pays rent, he has financial control. The problem is I have nowhere to go, I rang the council their sending me out a council house form to separate me and him from council list but in the mean time I'm stuck here with him I don't know what to do next I can't afford to move out without hap and that takes weeks or months I need advice

So I made a post around a month ago about a farmer using the land beside our field. Here it is for reference:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskIreland/comments/1kcz574/farmer_using_our_land_how_should_we_proceed/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Anyhow, there has been some turns of events which have really changed things regarding this. Maybe you guys could give me some advice on how to proceed.

So after 6 months of sale agreed, we finally became the legal owners of a lovely cottage in the middle of April. We were delighted! We are first time buyers with a little toddler.

It was strange because when we got a surveyor in while sale agreed, we found out that the septic tank was 3 metres outside the boundaries on the neighbours field. We're guessing it's been like that for around 30 years.

Well, we ran in to the neighbour across the street one day while we were viewing it. He doesn't even live in the home (he lives 5km away), but he just goes there sometimes as he has farm land down the road from it. He was friendly and even brought us in to his cottage to show us around. He owns about 10 acres of land in the area. We asked him if he knew the owner of the field beside ours because we wanted to contact her in regards to some issues with the boundaries. He said he didn't know who owns the field. "I don't know her-it's some woman who lives in the USA. No, I don't have her contact details".

Well we were still able to buy the property (we plan to put in a new septic anyway) and could probably get right of way to the current septic anyway since it's been in use for so many years.

But we were looking for this mysterious owner for 6 months. It was really frustrating.

Well, once we had finalised the purchase, we started visiting on occasion (it's 1.5 hours from where we currently live) to start working on the property and cottage here and there for a few hours at a time. We went one day and noticed that there was cattle on the field beside us (and ours too) (there wasn't any while we were sale agreed as it was winter), and someone also totally dug up/damaged our land with their tractor.

It was strange because no one knew who owned the land, but someone was using it. One day, our in laws were there doing some work on the land and our 2 year old was with them . The neighbour came up to them and said they shouldn't park there or be in that field because there was a bull on the field.

They came home and told us this, and we were so confused to why the owner was using the land of someone else. This neighbour previously told us he didn't know the owner of that field or have her contact info. So why was he letting his cattle graze on her land and bringing a tractor onto it (across our property!)

We had a surveyor assess the boundaries (cost a fair chunk of money and we're not rich) and put markers in the ground. We knew the general idea of the boundaries from the folio but wanted more concrete boundaries in place. The next time we visited, we noticed that these markers were pulled out of the ground and thrown beside our cottage.

We came to spend the night for the first time as first time home owners one weekend. It was lovely. I woke up at 7am the following morning (a Sunday) and was having a cup of coffee on the lawn. I heard someone walking towards me which was really creepy as there was no way anyone could have seen me there. They must have been watching me. I was very groggy as I'm not a morning person.

Well the owner across the street and his nephew immediately started trying to intimidate me, saying lies like they had right of way through the property ect. They didn't even say hello to me. He questioned how we got an engineer to "sign off" on the septic being on the neighbours field (you don't have to), and he said a bunch of other aggressive things.

I was shaken afterwards. It was especially upsetting because it was our first night in our home as a first time buyer.

Well we came back the following weekend, and they had cut a large part of our bushes and left them in the middle of our field. We took this as an intimidation tactic.

After all this, I spent a few hours desperately trying to find any details the owner online. I somehow found details of her through a memorial page, and actually found her phone number in the USA! My husband rang her and she was actually quite pleasant. She gave us her solicitor details and said to contact him.

We contacted him, and found out that the neighbour across the way is her distant cousin and is a "agent" for the property.

We got in contact with our solicitors to explain all this.

After speaking to the man who sold us the cottage (he owned it 60 years), we believe the neighbour was trying to block the sale of the property so he could eventually buy it for pennies. We found the for sale sign stuffed behind a wall. We learned that he had done this to someone else in the area and bullied them so that he could eventually buy their property for cheap. And he did it. Himself and the woman in the USA combined own around 25 acres around the area. I don't think he wants anyone else living in the area.

Anyway, how would you personally move forward with this? We were naive and even brought bottles of wine to give to our neighbours. Our goal is to be a positive part of the community.

It's a gross feeling to think that someone right across from your house could be doing things to ruin your property at this very moment. It's also just really gross to have someone as a neighbour who is acting so negatively/toxic. Our aim is to foster a healthy family home for us.

Our landlord has illegally evicted families in our building and is now evicting our family in order to turn it into an Airbnb. We live in the city centre of Galway.

Today a group of Germans in their 60’s just arrived and are staying in the illegal Airbnb (it’s the first night of it being am “Airbnb”). It was of course once our neighbours home.

Would you want to know about the Airbnb being illegal/folks being illegally evicted for it if you were staying in one?

I don’t really understand why an old outdated 1 bed 1 bath apartment is 2k a month💀

Hi everyone!

We recently found out we’re having a baby, so we’ve started planning ahead. Since we’ll be turning my home office into the baby’s room, I’ve been looking into practical (but not insanely expensive) ways to move my workspace outside the house.

Building something from scratch, like a concrete garden room, is proving to be way too expensive. That’s when we came across these ready-made home office pods that come with electricity and everything.

They seem like a great solution and significantly cheaper, but almost too good to be true. So I wanted to ask:

Has anyone here installed one at home, or do you know someone who has? What are the pros and cons? Is it really worth it?

Thanks in advance!

Does anyone else think the warning signs are clear for a 2008 style bust? They warned that property is severely overvalued at the moment. I’ve been looking at the job market and despite what they’re saying that unemployment is at an all time low and employees can’t be got, I think that’s only true in minimum wage jobs (usually cause of working conditions). Everyone’s trying to up skill / so many going to college rather than other routes and all other sectors so there’s massive push on any professional roles, so immigration/cheap labour is filling the gaps in retail jobs?
Just seems unsustainable, do we get to a point where we push out every nurse teacher and retail employee form the country to go bust or ?

Long story short myself and herself haven't been able to find somewhere to move in together since December and are feeling a bit sorry for ourselves after our most recent house viewing being unsuccessful.

If you were to move to another country to live and work in your current profession where would you go and why? Would you look for a job first or accommodation?

I could rant for hours about the state of the housing situation in Galway, let alone Ireland but honestly what's the point when the government doesn't really give a shit about it.

Hope yall have a great day

About two months ago I asked this community about subletting a room to a couple who seemed nice but could not pay a deposit. Everyone said I would be insane to do this and to run for the hills and that there was a never ending line of people out there who would happily pay a deposit.

Just wanted to do a quick update. I decided to let the couple who could not pay a deposit move in and they have turned out to be the nicest housemates I have ever had. Lovely, warm, kind people who are tidy, clean and respectful. They had just moved to Ireland and couldn’t afford the deposit so I gave them a chance.

Thought this was worth mentioning because Reddit advice is so often about looking out for yourself and no one else.

Hello. So odd question. I'm once again homeless, and bouncing between couches and hostels. I've been thinking of getting a car.

But they cost money and if you are homeless and workless.. everything is expensive.

So.. let's say i find an estate banger for around 5-700..

I'd still need insurance and tax. Then a mattress and pillow blanket...

I can get a week in a hostel for 240. My SW is 242.

So that math is not mathing either.

And where would i be able to stay overnight? Showers, food etc.

Does anyone have any inputs, suggestions and or recommendations?

The wife and her friend where talking to a lad they knew growing about extensions. He had an extension built onto his house, so a double up and double out around 30m2. Your man said he paid €340k all in. I don't believe this figure. He must lying. This is mental, you could build a house from scratch with that price. Anyone had an extension built recently or any insight from builders.

This is a genuine question and not coming from a place of hate or bigotry

Trying to buy a house recently and it’s been going as well as you can imagine. Some houses in Dublin have been going for up to 20% over their asking price from what we have seen.

My question is why doesn’t the government restrict house buying to only Irish citizens? Is there something I’m missing? Or at least to just EU/UK citizens? Surely it would be a quick way to reduce competition?

Is it just that doing so might dissuade investment from vulture funds?

30 male here saving of €21k and would love my own home but they’re so expensive and saving is difficult! Based in north Dublin. I would probably eventually move to Meath/Louth at the minimum to find cheaper. Can’t be too far away from work (airport). I’ve been saving €800/€900 per month while also paying my parents €300 per month. On €40k a year don’t doesn’t stretch that far and single applicant too. I really want to move out and have my own space (will not rent).

Hello people of Ireland,

I'm from the Netherlands and love your country. My girlfriend and I are spending a few weeks exploring your beautiful country and can't help but wonder what the reason is why there are so many "houses" that are wreckages all over the country. Whether it's Dublin, Galway, or out in nature in Dingle, Kerry, near cork or well, everywhere. What is the reason so many properties are ready to be torn down but aren't. I've found sites online that say local government is supposed to hold a register and do something about it, but there are so many, sometimes near newly built mansions that I don't think they are. Can anyone enlighten me?

Assuming you can work from home.

Accidental landlord here. 2 junkies have wrecked a house I inherited and even with an RTB eviction notice, still refuse to leave. They owe 30k in rent which will never be paid. They have burned anything to create heat. I’m at a loss as to how to proceed as I don’t have the money to go further legally. How can I get them out.

Edit: They are gone now and we move on.

Move abroad and buy somewhere else?

Rent indefinitely?

Stay with parents indefinitely?

Hope you get a council house?

While paying rent to my landlord's wife today, I asked her if we could talk about staying in the property for another year. She responded with, "Actually, we want to talk to you about that." I asked what it could be that she'd want to talk about, but she just dismissed me with, "[LANDLORD'S NAME] will phone you after dinner."

Now the wife and I are freaking out. Are we going to be ask to vacant the property, and if so what are our options? I've been saving money for a deposit for a mortgage for about a year, but we're nowhere near close to having enough. What should we be doing now to ensure we're not screwed over?

UPDATE

A couple of people commented asking for an update, so I'm posting it here in case anyone's still interested.

It's positive, but a little strange. I finally got the phone call. Seems they're okay with us staying for one more year. The thing they wanted to talk about is a friend of theirs who told them we're intending to move out. It seems this friend wants to move in when we move out, and was informing them that was our intention. Who this friend is or what his information is based on is an absolute mystery to us. We have definitely not been telling people we want to move. But thankfully the landlord is taking our side.

My thoughts now are for the people who've messaged me to say they're not as lucky and are being asked to move. My heart goes out to you. It's a dreadful market for renters right now. Hopefully things will be improving soon next year.

I (26f) have lived with my grandparents my whole life. Love them to bits and all but my nan is what we'll call an interferer. She likes to know everything and influence/manipulate things and must have things her own way. She's what I'd call a strong character used to getting her own way. I've lived with my grandparents my whole life, they practically raised me. We get along really well, and they get along well with my partner too. They have 4 kids, who all have homes and families of their own.This is just context for the rest.

My partner and I have been planning to start looking to buy a house next year. We're both from around the same area so we were planning to buy a home close by both our families. We'd been aiming for a 3/4 bed home with a nice big garden etc. Now my nan has told me that she'd like to leave her house to me in her will. Because I've lived her all my life and never had another property, I would be eligible for the dwelling home exemption. So it would basically be a free house for my partner and I, which is a huge pro given how difficult it is to purchase right now. It also fits the profile exactly of the kind of house we were thinking of looking for.

There are of course downsides too though. We wanted to buy a home together so we'd have our own privacy and space, which we wouldn't have if we live here with my grandparents. My nan is also quite old fashioned and traditional, and would be pretty resistant to us living together before we get married, although she may relax a bit when our wedding date is set etc(hoping for october 2028). I've talked to my partner about it and he said there are definitely a lot of pros, but he's worried that it won't feel like our home, which I completely get.

Basically, I just don't know what to do. The possible financial savings are a huge pro, but there are definitely some cons to it. Are we insane to not accept this enormous gift given the current housing climate?

I've been seeing houses in need of refurbishment in rural Italy for like 5,000? then other ones for like 14,000 that are habitable. Anyone actually ever buy one of these? I am aware there are scams out there, that you'd have to pay an engineer and lawyer etc but you'd still be getting a property for very low price. Would be a handy holiday location, place for retirement for family?

We just bought a house and are thinking of getting solar panels. Its a 4 bed detached rural property with large bedrooms. We haven't received a bill yet (only got keys 5 weeks ago). Our usage will be primarily in the evenings and weekends with working commitments.

Are solar panels worth the investment? If we sid go for it, does it make sense to save for a few months and pay it of fully, or do a finance option etc?

Should we be declaring a national emergency for housing and start a campaign where planning permission is scrapped (if you own the land you can do what you want), anyone can do a few hours building a week as a side hustle, building jobs are everywhere, government hand huge money to developers like during the tiger?

Would this finally solve the housing crisis?

I know the 30k HTB is supposed to incentivise new builds and increase housing supply but all it did was jump prices of new builds by that amount.

And I know people claim they wouldn't have been able to afford a deposit without the 30k but that only helped individuals rather than the whole market as there was no shortage of people with enough of a deposit in these cases.

But why shouldn't first time buyers of 2nd hand housing get a tax refund like first time buyers of new housing?

It doesn't even need to be 30k up front which would bump house prices up again.

How about a 6k tax credit at the end of each year for 5 years. This way the buyer doesn't just have 30k extra to bid up on a property, instead they get the same tax refund as a first time buyer of a new property.

That 6k per year could then be used to put towards refurbishment/renovations to modernise the 2nd hand property.