The stories came as the country again dealt with a housing conversation. Supply issues, the Covid 19 pandemic and recent news about rental fund purchases led to a further national reckoning on housing access.
Last week, people told us of their rental, purchasing, homelessness, HAP, selling and sharing in Ireland experiences. They have written about house-finding, pricing out of their hometown and finding a dream home.
We're watching what life is like living abroad this week. We have asked readers to share their homes abroad – how they compare their experience in Ireland; how much rent is, what rights renters have, and what the purchase process is. find property qatar
Some decided to use their names, but some wanted to remain anonymous. Although some people had a positive experience, others stressed that high house prices are not a matter for the Irish alone.
With two babies, our mortgage approval has now dropped to €147,000 - even though our rent for the last few years was higher than our mortgage repayment. (27)
'The housing market is competitive, but prices are low' Malmö, Sweden '
"We rented in Dublin and moved to Malmö, Sweden in the middle of 2018. We rented secondhand because there are queues here for first-hand rentals that can be very long, some three years old.
"It was easy to obtain a mortgage here; banks provide 85 percent of the sales value and at the beginning of 2019 we signed for a house. In the near future, we are looking for something larger and have already secured an offer on the loan. The market is very competitive here and the houses pay much more. Here we are very fortunate as housing prices are low in comparison to Ireland.
"There is an option for people when they are looking to purchase here to purchase from a Co-op of some kind and you have the right to live in the house. It makes it easier for many to buy this way."
The Algarve: 'Living costs are up to 30% cheaper than Ireland'
"I'm in the Algarve over-winter, where I rent each year. Algarvians are welcoming non-Portugueses from any country, as is clear from their Non-Habitual Residence, unique tax arrangements that benefit these non-residents.
"Living costs are 25% to 30% cheaper (apart from property prices, golf and cars) and above all the average temperature is around C5 every day warmer."
Siobhan, Netherlands: 'I thank my lucky stars constantly for living here'
"I live in the Netherlands right now. I'm very happy that you cover this topic because I felt very strong, I left Ireland.
"I've been living in the Netherlands for almost three years now and I love it totally! After two years of renting, Myself and my husband bought a house here last year. We live with our son there.
"The process was very easy: depending on how much you earn, you apply for your mortgage. The Netherlands encourages you to buy because they believe that if you own your own home, you can take care of it more often, which is true.
"The Netherlands is very proud of their environment. The parks, streets and towns are beautifully maintained and maintenance always seems to be going on. Also if you want to improve your home, you get a tax back.
"The prices are now peaking, but never out of hand, something I can't say about Ireland unfortunately. I felt that I had to leave and my husband worked both full time, often up to 12 hours a day, and worked hard to find ourselves financially treading water. It was constantly frustrating to me, since our rent was very high making it difficult to save, and I felt that when we stayed there we would never own our own home.
"I was also totally disgusted by our government and their lack of interest in putting any kind of cap on the rent fiasco. Payment of a high tax rate and nothing in return.
"You work here in the Netherlands, you pay taxes, you do the right thing and every day you watch the benefits. This is an extremely organized country and it is a real pleasure to live here. I made big friends, I got a great job, we own our own house, we're happy, my son's happy and I always thank the stars I live here. Forget about American dream, the Dutch dream should be called!"