From Chai to Cliffs- Arya’s Quest for the Perfect Pad in Ireland
Once upon a time (okay, like three weeks ago), Arya, a bright-eyed student from Bangalore, finally got her acceptance letter to her dream university in Ireland.
Excitement? ✅ Visa? ✅ Spotify playlist for long flights? ✅ Accommodation? …ummm, panic loading.
🎯 The Irish Housing Hunt Begins
Armed with Google, 42 tabs open, and a mild existential crisis, Arya dived into Ireland’s student housing scene. Her options?
On-campus housing – where lectures and late-night samosa cravings are just a hallway apart.
PBSA – Purpose-Built Student Accommodation, or as Arya calls it: “hostel, but with adulting features like laundry rooms and ping-pong tables.”
Shared apartments – for those who like splitting rent and life updates.
Digs (Host family life) – wholesome, warm, and comes with bonus home-cooked meals.
Private rentals – more freedom, more responsibility, and maybe a haunted kettle (you never know).
🔍 Arya’s Golden Rules of House-Hunting:
Start early – like “I-haven’t-even-packed-my-sweaters-yet” early.
Use trusted sites like Daft.ie and MyHome.ie.
Facebook groups like "Indian Students in Ireland" are gold mines—also meme mines.
💸 The Budget Blunder (Almost)
Arya nearly signed up for a dreamy apartment in Dublin for €1,300/month—until she found out the “balcony view” was just a poster of a beach taped to a window.
Lesson learned:
Dublin = budget-stretcher (600–1200€/month)
Cork, Galway = cuter on the wallet (500–1000€)
On-campus? Think weekly pricing: 150–250€/week
Don’t forget: always ask, “Are bills included?” Ghost utility charges are real.
🕵️♀️ Scam Radar: Activated
One listing asked her to wire money to a "distant cousin in Spain." 🚩
Another had no pics—just “visualize the vibe.” 🚩🚩
Arya’s 3 Commandments of Renting:
No pics? No deal.
No visit? No deposit.
“Trust me, bro” = run.
👯♀️ Roomies, But Make It Desi
She wasn’t ready to give up Maggi at midnight and Bollywood karaoke, so she:
Slid into FB groups
Joined her uni’s Indian Student Association
Went to a Diwali mixer and walked away with 2 flatmates and a box of laddoos
🎉 The Ending? Cozy, Happy & Slightly Masala-Scented
Arya now lives in a charming apartment in Galway with two other Indian students. They’ve got WiFi, a curry-corner, and big dreams.
📝 Moral of the Story?
Planning your Ireland move? Be like Arya:
Hunt early
Avoid shady listings
Find your people
Laugh through the chaos
And always carry a box of masala
Ireland awaits, and your dream home’s just a few clicks (and maybe one awkward landlord call) away. ☘️
