Is 13% below asking too aggressive for Dublin student housing?

[writeTheView]

I’ve checked the nearby asking stock, but the completed-sale evidence is still too thin for me to pin down value. The Dublin student housing property is listed at €883,200, has been available for 98 days and requires work.

My current plan is to offer 13% under asking with financing evidence and flexibility over completion. I want the explanation to focus on the limited sales evidence, updating costs and valuation uncertainty rather than sounding like a catalogue of faults. How would you structure the offer and its expiry? I’m not comfortable removing survey or finance protection, particularly if that could leave me exposed to a valuation shortfall or put the deposit at risk.

 

[NimblePlan]

Thirteen per cent is firm, but not inherently insulting after 98 days. Keep the explanation factual: limited completed comparables, updating costs and uncertainty over valuation. Don’t itemise every cosmetic flaw as though you’re prosecuting the property.

Send financing proof, state your flexibility, and give a reasonable expiry so the offer cannot simply be held while others are sought. I would keep finance and survey protections.

 

[EarnestBrick]

What does “student housing” mean here: a normal house currently let to students, or a property whose value depends on an accommodation business? That affects the evidence you need. Ask for the tenancy or occupancy position, income and running costs where relevant, plus the seller’s preferred completion timing. Seller motivation may matter more than shaving another point off the percentage.

 

[birch.amber]

I disagree slightly with using the 98 days as strong evidence. A listing can sit because the seller is patient, and comparable asking prices being close may reinforce their expectations rather than yours.

I’d still offer below, but avoid presenting 13% as an objective valuation unless completed sales support it. Call it the price that works after allowing for condition and financing risk. Also decide in advance whether you would request repair credits after the survey or simply revise your price.

 

[BoldAtlas]

Before submitting, write down three numbers: opening offer, maximum price, and the largest valuation shortfall you could cover without endangering your deposit or planned works. Then have the wording and deposit consequences checked by the relevant Irish professionals, because offer and contract practices are jurisdiction-specific.

A clean offer does not have to mean an unprotected one. Proof of funds or finance, a clear completion range and a stated response deadline can make it credible while preserving survey and financing conditions.