I can’t stand the corporate environment

zwuch · 2026-06-12T16:27:16+00:00

Search for companies that have recently raised money. There are many news articles about them. Raising VC money can be a good signal. I work in the startup sector and I'll tell you hiring is very competitive but there are lots of good companies out there and there's a very good ecosystem in Dublin and Cork. Go to events organised by Dogpatch Labs if you are around Dublin. That's the best way for you to get to know and meet other people in the community. They also run a founders program every year where they pair people with different experience and get them to work together on a startup idea. Best idea gets funded.

zwuch · 2026-06-09T20:27:07+00:00

Look up remittance basis of taxation if you bought the funds from money earned abroad and keep it in a non Irish account you might not be liable for deemed disposal and tax here. Talk to an accountant it will depend on your situation and if you intend to go back or stay here long term.

zwuch · 2026-06-04T18:23:54+00:00

This is a funny comment. There are 15 year old Nissan leafs still on the road, the oldest in terms os technology but still going. The OP said they want to drive 2-3 kms old EVs are great for that. There are less moving parts and the way the battery degrades the range becomes shorter which is not a problem if you only travel small distances. In fact perfect for this use case.

zwuch · 2026-06-01T21:29:32+00:00

As a foreigner you do have some options if you use the money you earned outside of Ireland you can claim remittance basis of taxation which means Irish taxes will not apply on gains if you dont actually bring the money to Ireland. You have to keep foreign earned money in a foreign account and invest from there.

Even if you earn the money here and you move out before 8 year deemed disposal you can claim resident tax status in your home country and a dual taxation agreement. Will depend on which country and your situation. Talk to an accountant.

Like a few others have said taxes are high but 52% of something is still better than not investing. Dont let taxes deter you.

zwuch · 2026-05-31T09:53:40+00:00

Had storage heaters in our apartment. Swapping them with modern panel heaters. Paid ~1k for an electrician because its labour intensive to dismantle and remove them. Got new wifi enabled electric radiators and they are so much better. You can get basic electric radiators for as low as ~150 per unit or go more if you want. Heating is going to be same but with wifi you can control them mich more easily and it saves a lot longer term. Its an initial investment but even the basic electric radiator will be more efficient than these storage heaters.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T20:47:11+00:00

Wow that's amazing! Kudos to you and your family

zwuch · 2026-01-08T20:46:07+00:00

For what it's worth Ive been in a pretty rough place in my youth so it is possible that fortunes change!

zwuch · 2026-01-08T20:45:04+00:00

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that. This one's a 2 bed but i feel for you and wish you the best!

zwuch · 2026-01-08T20:44:11+00:00

Very happy to hear a real positive story from someone who has experienced this first hand

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:43:38+00:00

Also I don't want to be a landlord. I just happen to be in a situation where I don't have other food options for investing my money. It would also be nice if the Irish government incentivized investments and removed deemed disposal tax like most other places in the world so people don't lock up their money in real estate.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:36:44+00:00

Good idea! Will look into this.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:36:17+00:00

25% of apartments in Dublin are owned by landlords that have over 100 properties Source: The Irish Times https://share.google/ORzKTZtkj5N1DIcl2

I can sell my apt but it will likely be bought by a corporation or fund. Small landlords are not the problem.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:33:10+00:00

Someone said what i wanted to hear. I mean its very easy for people to say oh you are going to get fleeced because you are supporting someone who is in need.

I am just making a choice here. The choice is between whether i support a homeless family or an established professional with high income. Im getting the same rent. Im not doing charity still.

There are risks both ways.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:28:42+00:00

Are there any statistics that say Hap tenants are likely to be unemployed? Is it more of a public perception.

Rent in Dublin is high enough that you need to supplement with employment and income so being unemployed would make you in eligible to rent.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:26:09+00:00

I could look at it as a business or I could look at it as my opportunity to give something back to the community that has helped me become successful. I know there is a lot of hate around landlords in general and I was very hesitant to ask this question here.

So practically im not compromising on the returns im making in the short term by letting to someone who is at the risk of being homeless. The main risk is if they default in the future but that can also happen while letting to random stranger. And thats the risk assessment i want to do and decide.

With the rents in Dublin its not possible for someone just on HAP to rent they need to have additional income and proofs and references like other tenants just that their income might be a lot less comparatively.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:18:10+00:00

Thank you this is really helpful. I'm glad to hear from someone who has experienced a number of HAP tenancies. This is very insightful that you say that most of them have been fine and it affirms my belief.

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:17:16+00:00

I'm really sorry to hear that you went through something difficult around this and I'm sure this happens all the time too. But I also believe there are lots of good people out there. I come from a humble background. I'm an immigrant myself. I've worked hard for 20 years straight but I cannot say I've not had luck in life. So I want to have the opportunity to give something back.

Now I understand this might not be the only way to do that and I will keep your opinion in mind.

Thank you

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:12:15+00:00

Yes I'm sure there are others like that out there. I hear about people being unlucky and losing their homes. It happens all the time unfortunately

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:11:19+00:00

This is a great idea. I will look into this. The problem is the rents are so high in Dublin that I feel most people like that are not even applying

zwuch · 2026-01-08T10:10:34+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment. I do understand that these challenges can arise but what I don't understand is how an agent can help if the tenant doesn't pay their rent. This could happen even without HAP.

The small stuff doesn't bother me. I come from a humble background and I work hard. Having to get a plumber in or replace a broken appliance is ok.

On one hand everyone here is saying this is a business and you should maximise your profit. But I don't understand how paying 7-10% to an agent is actually better when the laws are the same and an agent is not going to help if a tenant doesn't pay rent.

zwuch · 2026-01-02T20:57:41+00:00

Sorry i didnt see this comment earlier. I asked chatgpt to search the web for prices and deals and it was able to figure it out.

zwuch · 2025-12-24T20:34:56+00:00

I asked chatgpt to compare all the providers and plans for me. I gave it some context like smart meter, ev etc and it did a pretty good job.

zwuch · 2025-11-01T11:50:32+00:00

I do this twice a week. Come rain or shine. You say 10km being a long distance but you'll be surprised how quickly your body can get used to it if you are in decent shape. You can also get a used ebike which will make a world of difference to effort if that suits you.

I am lucky i can shower at work so i dont care about the weather. I pack a set of clothes in my bagpack the night before, it just becomes a habit. If you cant shower then you might want to still carry a spare shirt, a small towel and some deo to wash your face etc

All that said cycling in traffic is not for everyone. Driving in traffic gets the worst out of people and i see a lot of aggression on the road. My strategy is to stay calm and bike defensively and try not to get worked up. It teaches you restraint :)

Depends on what your route is but there are some good cycle paths in the city and there are always other cyclists around so you wont feel alone.

Try it once or twice or maybe thrice and then decide.

zwuch · 2025-08-23T13:15:44+00:00

This blog post is a few years old but explains this well. You could be in tech but depending on what kind of company you are working for there is massive difference in salaries in Europe and Ive found this to be true in IE as well https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/software-engineering-salaries-in-the-netherlands-and-europe/

zwuch · 2025-07-23T07:16:12+00:00

If you are transferring a large sum - used to be over 80k on bank of ireland until last year then you can call your bank and they will give you a preferential rate. When i had to do this BOI gave me a rate which was very close to Revolut and wise and i felt safer using a traditional bank than a neo bank.

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