Five reasons to think twice about moving home . . .

Accommodation:

There is still a major problem in Ireland's housing supply, with the number of properties available for sale and rent not able to keep up with demand. The latest estimates on stock reveal that only 1.3 per cent of private housing is available for sale, according to Marian Finnegan, economist with Sherry FitzGerald. Construction activity has improved, supported by the help-to-buy scheme, however, there are still only half the new units the market requires being delivered. Therefore, prices are rising and current forecasts suggest prices in the country overall will have increased by about 10 per cent in 2017.

Childcare:

There’s no glossing over the fact: childcare costs in Ireland are exorbitant. It can cost up to €1,150 a month for a creche place for a baby and for two full-time children it can cost more than €2,000 a month. However, there is some good news; recently Minister for Children Katherine Zappone announced a country-wide childcare-cost review. The findings of this will be used to inform her budget decisions next year. The Government’s new affordable childcare programme also came into effect last September, which should go some way to ease the burden on parents.

Cost of living:

Dublin is ranked as one of the most expensive cities in the eurozone to live in, and comes in just behind London. Data from Eurostat this year showed prices in Ireland for a cross-section of consumer goods and services were the second highest in the European Union (EU). It came in at 125 per cent of the average of the 28 member countries in 2016.

Transport:

Making your way around Ireland is getting easier, with many improvements to our infrastructure and transport links; the new Luas cross city was launched in Dublin only recently. However, public transport has been hit by industrial unrest over the last couple of years, with Luas, bus and rail stoppages all affecting hundreds of thousands of commuters.

The weather:

If you are used to 30º heat and sunshine for at least six months of the year, returning to grey clouds and damp conditions may not be very appealing. If you are used to an active outdoor lifestyle, then it will take a while to reacquaint yourself with the Irish weather. However, being a hardy lot, the Irish get up and get on with it; water sports and outdoor activities abound. The outdoor lifestyle is very much a possibility here.