[September 17, 2023]
Finding an apartment in Dublin proved harder than many of the major US metropolitan cities. Here's how we did it within two weeks.
We've all scrolled through social media or turned on the news and seen it. A long, winding line down an unassuming sidewalk in a neighborhood that has too much demand and too little supply.
My partner Chloe and I heard finding an apartment in Dublin wouldn't be easy, but we had also navigated the markets in Boston, San Francisco, and New York City, so we weren't too worried. We moved to Dublin in September of 2022 and booked a temporary Airbnb for our first month. One whole month - plenty of time to find an apartment to call home right?
I'm sure you can see where this is going. After 40+ attempts to secure showings of online listings, we only managed to see four, none of which were winners. For one of the showings we did get, we had a whopping 5-minute slot (they had 12 showings, all within the hour, and that was it). The only advice we were able to garner was that we should expand our search to the suburbs, beyond central Dublin, where there is a more realistic supply. Someone even told us: "There is nearly nothing in the area you want, and what is there will be gone before it's even listed."
Finally, we had a breakthrough - a coworker was moving out of an ideal apartment in the city center (D2). We got the landlord's contact and messaged him directly. He was happy to pull the apartment off the market and give it to a referral that he trusted, all we needed to do was provide a deposit. "Done! Let us know where to send the money."
That night, we ordered a celebratory pint of Guinness at a famous local pub across the street from our soon-to-be apartment. Then, PING! ... sadly, it wasn't from the cheers of our glasses, but rather a WhatsApp message from the landlord. We assumed it was his bank details to wire the deposit over. Instead, it was a message that knocked the wind out of us. Unbeknownst to him, his listing agent had already promised the apartment to someone else, so the deal was off. Despite our best efforts (including a convincing video explaining how we would be the best tenants he's ever had), there was nothing we could do.
Let's just say, many tears were shed that night. "YOU MOVED A HOMEBODY TO A PLACE WHERE WE CAN'T EVEN GET A HOME" is a line from Chloe that I won't soon forget!
The next morning I woke up and I decided we needed a different approach. The online hunt was futile, and it was clear you needed to know someone to even have a chance at the best units. "We're going to go door-knocking!" This idea was met with a resounding, "What does that even mean??"
I explained that we would walk around the neighborhood and knock on doors to find our apartment instead of waiting behind a computer for one to pop up, only to have 5,000 other people try and schedule a showing at the same time. Chloe decided to join along for the joke, but then when she realized I wasn't joking, she proceeded to go get a manicure to destress instead.
And I definitely wasn't joking. I mapped out all the best streets in the city, and I walked down every single street and knocked on every single door. In the 5th hour, I knocked on the door of someone named Aidan who happened to be the owner of a commercial real estate business. I explained we were looking for a 1 or 2 bed/bath apartment near Merrion Square ... to my surprise and delight, he replied saying he may have something in that exact area. The cherry on top? It was empty, move-in ready, and off the market. The owner had not yet listed it publically.
This all happened on a Saturday, and I received an email the following Monday, as promised, asking if we could meet up in one hour for a showing. We dropped everything at work, and off we went. Chloe and I would be the first, and only, people to tour that apartment. We agreed on a lease, signed later that day, and the rest is history.
Aidan, if you ever read this, thank you for being willing to open your door when I came knocking for a bit of help - you are a superb example of Irish hospitality.
It's been exactly one year since we moved in, and it's safe to say that our apartment only scratches the surface of the joy this beautiful country has brought us. We just resigned our lease for another year and can't wait to see what's in store! 🇨🇮