House Search

We were actually trying to get a mortgage in England, but  we refused time and time again despite the fact that we had a substantial sum as a deposit, and both had full time jobs. At around 50 years old, we were apparently too old! I was trawling on the internet for homes and stumbled across a 'wreck' in Ireland for a ridiculously low sum. This was Bishopsland in Caragh, West Cork.

We thought, why not? We could buy a place outright and live in the bus while doing it up. A build project meant giving up our jobs, moving to Ireland with no income. A whole new adventure. When we offered the asking price, it was rejected. In England the asking price is often open for negotiation, depending on how quickly a sale is needed. Auctioneers in Ireland work the other way.  The asking price is simply a starting bid. The owner in fact wanted a lot more. So, we travelled 2000 miles in a weekend looking at houses in West Cork and Kerry. Many were in a dreadful state, but we were enthusiastic!

We eventually settled on the house we did end up buying, though it wasn't straightforward. The onwers pushed the price up and up until we backed out. At this point they panicked, thinking they'd lost the sale. We ended up spending everything we had on the place, which left us with no money to reroof, which had been the plan. But we had a wreck with over 2 acres of good farming land.

We laboured under financial difficulties for 15 years, and learned a lot! We were buying secondhand materials and living a very frugal life, but in time our finances eased, the house was livable-in, and we were able to persue our dreams: me to becoming a published author, Robin to become an academic. Had we been offered a mortgage in England none of those things would have happened. We would still be wage slaves until retirement - if we didn't die of stress before that happened. Several things led to us buying this house, but what an adventure!