There’s nothing like a big, bustling Irish Family Christmas. From the long drive home to a backdrop of Christmas songs, to welcoming your brother from Australia, there’s nothing better than going home for Christmas. The Drive Home Laden down with Christmas presents and rolls of wrapping paper in a freezing cold car, there’s such a giddy sense of excitement driving home. Anticipating all the family festivities to come, you know you have few days of pure heaven ahead of you. Christmas Stockings Is there anything more nostalgic than seeing your worn-out stocking hung up over the fireplace? With your name stitched on, it’s been stored safely in the attic and is unpacked every year with all your childhood Christmas decorations. Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is almost as good as Christmas Day. All your old school-friends, neighbours and your siblings returned home, crammed together in the local for a few scoops,…Continue Reading

Even though motivation could be at an all-time low, January is a great time of the year to put your property on the market. It can sometimes be a very slow month – most people are still recovering from Christmas, meaning you have a clear runway to get ahead of the competition. Book A Valuation  The very first thing you should do is book a valuation. You can book a free valuation with Moovingo and our agent will advise you on anything that might be required to prepare your house for a sale. Once you have a professional opinion, you can create a plan on what you need to do. The January Spring Clean January is the definitive month for spring cleaning and New Year’s resolutions and de-cluttering is one of the most important aspects of preparing your house for a sale. It’s time to get up into the attic…Continue Reading

1. In the Zone: Get to know your buyer and their individual needs. While you can’t magically teleport your house to a potential buyer’s ideal area, you can certainly build a case to interested parties for the area in question. Let your property agent know in advance the amenities in your local area: schools, parks, restaurants, nightlife, community enterprises and transport. Pearl (34) recently bought her first house with her husband in Celbridge. Although they don’t have children, she says that future possibility was a key decider. They looked at trendy new-builds on the outskirts of Dublin but eventually opted for a more mature neighbourhood close to the commuter belt in Celbridge, as the pair both work in Dublin city centre. A garden was an all-important factor for Pearl, and being a freelance photographer, the lighting in the house was also a huge consideration. Some buyers will be attracted to…Continue Reading

Disruption, what does it mean? Does disruption signify one big, significant event that catalyses change or is it more of an ongoing process? And what does it mean in the context of the property market? Is there another potential property bubble looming and are we talking about stopping it dead in its tracks? Does disruption involve boosting the volume of new builds to meet increasing demand? Is it time to cut out the middlemen? Can we eliminate the scourge of extraneous fees? New blood Last year the census revealed a 2% increase in the Irish population. Our population growth is one of the highest in Europe, in fact. According to Goodbody Stockbroker’s chief economist, Dermot O’Leary, on top of population growth, we’re seeing a pickup in the labour market. “The ongoing growth has led to increased flows of migrants in this country. That’s leading to high household formation and thus,…Continue Reading

Prized possession Got your eye on the prize property of your dreams? It’s called a bidding war for a reason. Follow these tips and arm yourself with the right strategy before heading on to the battlefield. Forget your troubles, c’mon, get happy Excited about this property? It’s all too easy to let the stress of a bidding war curb your enthusiasm. Now is not the time to be aloof. Show the seller how much this property means to you. It most likely holds treasured memories of important milestones for the seller. Expressing a genuine passion for the house can go a long way– sellers often want to feel that their humble abode is going to the right candidate. Building a rapport is essential. Make it personal. Money matters There’s always the temptation to feign indifference, maybe undercut the asking price. The seller may accept or meet you halfway. The important thing is…Continue Reading

Whether it was those must-have boots that cut your feet furiously or that all-cleansing juice diet that did something similar to your insides, we’ve all experienced buyer’s remorse at one point or another. Down a sum of say, €200, we’ve suffered the consequences financially (and sometimes, physically), learnt our lesson and moved on. Needless to say, when it comes to buyer’s remorse on an enormous investment like a home, the stakes are considerably higher. Meticulous preparation is key. Here are five common mistakes that can easily be avoided. Knowledge is power. Going solo We’ve all been guilty of googling our symptoms when we’re feeling unwell. Within minutes of an initial, clumsy search, we’ve frantically diagnosed ourselves with every terrifying illness under the sun. The moral of the story? Consult a professional. The same rule applies when trying to navigate the housing market as an amateur. Consider the amount of money…Continue Reading

 Sale doesn’t come about without dedication, hard work and – let’s face it – some sweat and tears. There are still a few more steps to take before you can put up your feet and rejoice. A buyer’s guide in three easy steps The end is nigh! You’ve successfully negotiated the hurdles – expected and unexpected – that faced you when you set out on this journey. Over the last year or so, you’ve agreed your budget, applied for a mortgage, received approval from the lending agency, found a suitable house, hired a solicitor, made an offer, and now here you are at the ‘Sale Agreed’ signpost. Home and dry? Well, not quite! There are three further essential steps for a buyer to take to ensure the sale goes as smoothly as possible. Legally bland Once your offer is accepted, the legal process begins. In other areas, you could be…Continue Reading

Selling? Buying? Or just dipping your toes into the property pool? Do it with ease with Moovingo – Ireland’s first tech-enabled full service estate agent. Yes, you heard right, property is turning programmatic. Moovingo is paving the way for a more convenient, cost efficient property process and here’s how they are doing it.  Moovingo cuts out unnecessary admin One of the biggest issues facing agents and, in turn, buyers and sellers, is the length of time taken up with administration. With old-school estate agent models, phone calls go back and forth to set-up property valuations and viewings, and to make, accept and decline offers. This is a lengthy and drawn-out process, not to mention, an expensive one. Moovingo keeps those costs down The back and forth, the bricks and mortar stores, and everything else that goes into running a traditional estate agency, can be rather pricey. It may seem like standard practice…Continue Reading

Selling a house is one of the most overwhelming and stressful undertakings in life, but potentially one of the most rewarding. Follow these simple steps outlined in our cheat sheet below and you won’t look back. First impressions count It was love at first sight. —Joseph Heller, Catch-22 (1961) Just as this memorable opener to Joseph Heller’s masterpiece pulls the reader in and encourages them to stick around for the unfolding story, the very first look at a home will inform your audience’s decision to invest emotionally or to cut and run. What’s the first point of contact between them and your home? Is it a link, photograph, bricks and mortar? Will it entice them to knock on the door and find out more? You’ll never have a second chance at a first impression, as the saying goes, so make it count. Get them over the threshold. Dress (your house)…Continue Reading

We’ve all been there. House hunting. The mad dash to the bank on your lunch break that almost leaves you lightheaded. Or, worse, the arrival at the convenience store that is conveniently closed on a Sunday. Groan. And, for good measure, moan. Well, that’s what you end up doing, particularly when you miss the Credit Union for the third Saturday in a row. You moan and you groan and you commit to trying to be more organised the next time around. Though, we needn’t venture a guess as to what happens the next time. Groan. But why? Why be so limited to the restrictions of opening hours and weekend closures? Why get the answering machine every time you go to make a call after 5.30? Particularly when you’re doing something as important as, say, looking for a new home. Moovingo is not about that. It’s not about inconvenient opening hours…Continue Reading