Readers of The Irish Times have shared their views on apartment living and how it compares to living in a house. We asked them to set aside the harsh reality of unaffordable housing prices and the lack of new-homes supply, to establish their general preference between owning and living in a house or an apartment over the long term.
The reader callout was prompted by a recent Irish Times interview in which Michael Stanley, chief executive of Cairn Homes, said the narrative about Irish people not wanting to live in apartments makes him cringe. “I hear it on radio shows, in newspaper articles ... it’s the greatest piece of misinformation that’s put out there,” Stanley said.
Reader comments
‘Apartments in Ireland are just not designed for family life’
My husband and I moved back to Dublin in 2019, and having enjoyed apartment living abroad, we [hoped we would] find something similar here and have the benefit of being close to everything without the hassle of the upkeep of a house, but apartments in Ireland are just not designed for family life. They are often cramped with no dedicated storage and lack easy access to green spaces and playgrounds. When you have a child and a dog, a 30-minute walk to the park is just too far. In other European cities, you’re always within a stone’s throw of a park and playground. – Susan Reilly, Co Wicklow
‘Having a garden, however small, is great for your mental health’
Having recently moved from a Dublin city-centre apartment to a small house still inside the canals, the house wins hands down. Having a garden, however small, is great for your mental health and it is nicer to not hear noise from neighbours above or below you. I realise that denser urban living (apartments) might be more efficient for the country overall, but in terms of personal preferences and benefits for an individual, a house offers so much more, which is why most people seek them. – Patrick, Co Dublin
‘At the right stage in life, an apartment trumps a house for us’
We lived in a three-bed semidetached house for 36 years, raising five children. They have all fled the nest and with just the two of us now, the attraction of a new apartment in a nice area was quite compelling. No more cutting grass or external painting, along with all the other maintenance, which just falls away. The apartment has an A2 Ber compared with a B3, so there’s a huge advantage with that also. You do have less room, of course, but now we need less room, and that equates to a drop in heating bills and, again, less maintenance. Soundproofing is much more efficient thanks to the insulation. Having good neighbours is definitely more important with apartment living due to contact in the common areas and we have been blessed with fantastic, considerate fellow residents. Bottom line, at the right stage in life, an apartment trumps a house for us. – Name withheld, Co Dublin
‘Owning a house gives more freedom’
I, personally, would like to own a house to live in long term, as I would like to have my own garden (plant mom!), as well as the space to enjoy hobbies. Owning a house gives more freedom in making structural modifications compared to an apartment, like installing solar panels or an electric car charger, which would be important to me. – Sonya Chew, Galway city
‘We need a shift in apartment design’
I have been living in an apartment for more than 10 years and since I’m single and have no children, I don’t feel the need to own a house. That said, the quality of apartments built in this country, particularly during the 2000s, is, in my opinion, very poor compared to other countries. I think more people would live in apartments if they were larger and better built. At the moment, developers seem to be of the view that apartments are for investors and are designed and constructed as such, meaning small poky rooms and minimum sound insulation compared to houses. We need a shift in apartment design to encourage more people to consider apartment living. – Paddy, Co Dublin
‘We could be as noisy as we like without worrying about the people surrounding us’
I live in a beautiful, well-maintained apartment complex with my husband, two kids and a dog. Despite how lovely it is and the sense of community that comes with living here, long-term, we would absolutely prefer to own a house over an apartment. A house would give us the privacy and space of having our own garden, without having to drag prams and bikes and scooters up and down stairs every day; we could be as noisy as we like without worrying about the people surrounding us on all sides; we could park our car outside our own front door. The complex we are in would make sense for a lot of older people (like my dad who lives alone in a big suburban house and needs his car for everything) as it’s in a very central location, but the apartments are full of young couples and families who can’t afford to buy the houses that they want and need. – Name withheld, Co Wicklow
‘I am very happy to be in a third-floor apartment where I feel very secure’
I moved to a three-bed apartment from a five-bed house in 2006. My husband died three years ago and I am very happy to be in a third-floor apartment where I feel very secure. I know many of the residents here, more than I did my previous neighbours. If I go away for a while, I’m not afraid of something adverse happening while I’m gone. The downside is the steep management fee. – Gemma, Co Dublin
[ Is the answer to Ireland’s housing crisis more apartments?Opens in new window ]
‘The space and garden I have with my house are of utmost value’
While raising my family, the space and garden I have with my house are of utmost value. However, I would like to downsize to an apartment within easy walking distance of facilities for my retirement years. The challenge at that point will be finding an apartment with good soundproofing so as to ensure the quiet enjoyment of our home with neighbours in such proximity. – Niamh, Co Galway
‘While I would have loved a garden, I realise that I am futureproofed for old age’
I managed to secure an apartment in Dublin [in 2008]. I was very grateful and I hoped to be able to move on in a few years to buy a house with a garden for my son and me, perhaps with a third room for a study, guests, etc. Then we had the property crash and I saw the value of my apartment plummet. I am now in my mid-50s and while I would have loved a garden – the balcony is a bit small, not much space to store bikes, etc – I realise that I am futureproofed for old age as I am on the ground floor. There are raised eyebrows from the parents in school when they realise you live in an apartment. It doesn’t bother me as I lived in America for eight years and it was all apartment living. And there is a presumption from others being a single parent living in an apartment that I must be on social welfare. Because my family unit is not the norm, I feel happy that I don’t have to try to keep up with the Joneses. I had other dreams, they didn’t work out, and I am grateful I have a roof over my head, I can afford the mortgage and I can provide for my son. – Name withheld, Co Dublin
‘Irish people just didn’t know how to live in apartments’
I grew up in a typical apartment in another country: a 1,000sq ft three-bed with a large balcony that could accommodate a table for eight and still had space for plants and other possessions. This was pretty typical of apartments there. The block was well maintained by the management company and was built with good and durable materials. Everyone lived in respectful harmony. I’d be happy to live in a similar apartment in Ireland – but the problem is that Irish apartments are mostly awful. Dark, squeezed spaces with poor sound insulation, long corridors of apartments that, if lucky, pay lip-service balconies. Standards that meet those of continental Europe are only evident in €1-million-plus apartments today, which are out of the reach of most people.
My first property purchase was an apartment in Dublin, as, having grown up in one, I was well disposed towards them. I had to get out after just over a year. Irish people just didn’t know how to live in apartments. They gave no consideration to neighbours or of the common areas. My apartment building was brand new, but after a year it was already grotty and like living in a train station due to incessant noise from the common areas and apartments above and below coming through the poorly insulated ceiling, floor and side walls. Shocking standards of construction due to builders only having guidelines and not regulations at the time. Living in it was only partly living. I’ve been put off the idea of apartment living ever since. A house each time for me! – Emma Long, Co Dublin
‘The ability to control my environment is much better in a detached cottage’
I want/need to live in a house. I was diagnosed autistic in recent years, and the ability to control my environment is much better in a detached cottage on an acre in a small village in the midlands. Time spent in an apartment stressed me because of the noise of the other residents. My inability to filter background noise meant I knew which cycle the people beside me had their washing machine on, what time the gent upstairs used the toilet when he got in from work, and that’s without the outside street noise, from street sweepers to buses, to people having conversations with their friends across the road. – Name withheld, Co Offaly
‘Standard apartments are very basic, without adequate storage’
I would prefer to live in a house, not an apartment. The reason for my answer is this: standard apartments are very basic, without adequate storage and very little (if any) outdoor space. Generally, in mainland Europe, apartment builds are designed differently and are much more practical for families, with no apartments on the ground floor, which is reserved for relevant shops. Also, for residents, there are laundry rooms which are supervised, storage areas reserved for prams and buggies, and separate bicycle storage and a secure lockable storage area for each apartment. – Name withheld, Co Wicklow
‘In Ireland, apartments were built for childless 20-somethings’
I would prefer to buy a house over an apartment for long-term living. In Europe, apartments are built well and are designed for families and long-term living. In Ireland, apartments were built for childless 20-somethings to live in while they save for a house. There are exceptions, sure, but that is the average in my experience. I have been looking at apartments and, with one exception, they were all badly built or were badly designed or treated as a place to stay before moving somewhere better. Not always, of course. Houses vary but the quality is usually better. Not to mention, with a house one owns the land and can knock and rebuild a badly built house. You have more freedom to extend, demolish or modify a house. Houses usually come with outdoor space, garden and parking. This is not always the case, but in my experience, the average apartment doesn’t hold a candle to the average house. – John Neill, Cork city
The identity of all featured respondents is known to The Irish Times
