Camelot in the press
cameloteurope.com
FEATURE 13
The Munster Express | 19 July 2013
Camelot
Property
management offer a unique
alternative to renting and with
fees starting from €125 per
month in a variety of locations
across Ireland, this is a great
opportunity for those looking
for a low cost home.
In 2006, Camelot was the
first company in Ireland
to introduce protection by
occupation:
the
live-in
Guardian Solution. Protecting
properties through occupation
not only prevents crime and the
anti social behavior associated
with vacant property but also
provides an affordable housing
solution with fees ranging
from €30 - €70 per week, often
including bills.
John Smith, live-in Guardian
since 2010 lives for €200 per
month, “after I moved in I
couldn’t believe how close I
was to town. I decorated my
space to make it more comfy
and to my liking. If I wanted
the same amount of space anywhere else in the city I would
have to spend at least €700 per
month”.
Camelot will accommodate
The Munster Express | 19-07-2013
those over the age of 18 who
have proof of a regular income
and no criminal record. each
property that Camelot protects
is wind proof and water tight,
with functioning water and
electricity.
the
monthly
Camelot fee is on average 40%
lower than market rental values
with large spaces in unique
properties available.
Currently, Camelot manages
3 properties in the munster area
(two in Cork county, and one
in Cork City)
there are 2 spaces available
in macroom, another 2 spaces
available in Buttevant, and
in Cork City we have four
spaces available, with monthly
fee starting from €125 which
includes bills. the properties
available, are on a shared
basis, with Shower and kitchen
facilities shared amongst the
Guardians residing in the
property. It’s a unique way of
living, and can be a great way
for people to live cheaply and
also helps to save money.
to register your interest
with Camelot, you can call
the office on 01 8809270,
or visit our website http://
ie.cameloteurope.com where
you can complete an online
application form.
cameloteurope .com
The Munster Express | 24-05-2013
cameloteurope .com
Friday August 10th
Waterford guardians pay cheap tariff for
living in stately manor
LOUISE ROSEINGRAVE
LIVING SPACE in a former stately manor in Waterford is filling up fast as some thrifty people turn to
property guardianship instead of renting.
Just three of 18 rooms are still available at Grace Dieu Manor, a former retreat house run by the
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart on Tramore Road in Waterford.
Rooms cost from €100 a month for basic accommodation to €150 for a bedroom with an en-suite
bathroom and shared kitchen facilities. All utilities except waste collection are covered under a licence
offered by property security firm Camelot.
Fruit and vegetable wholesaler Brendan Walsh (27) from Waterford is one of 130 guardians in Ireland
currently living in properties on behalf of Camelot. He spent eight months living with his parents before
moving into a self-contained apartment at Grace Dieu, for which he pays €240 a month.
“It’s great. I’ve been here a month and there’s been no problems. The €100 per month rent was what
caught my eye to begin with and living in the town in shared accommodation just didn’t really appeal to
me,” he said. The grounds, laid out in woodlands and walkways, are an additional bonus. “I suppose €240
would get you a single or a double room in a shared house in Waterford city but I didn’t want to get
caught up in that way of life. The peace and quiet here allows me to concentrate on other issues,” he
said.
Guardians can live in unusual properties for a fraction of the market rental rate, according to Camelot’s
Irish regional manager Damian Woods. Guardians are not legal tenants, but can live in disused buildings
at discounted rates in order to protect them from falling into disrepair.
“The Waterford property is a very large house on a sprawling site with around 40 bedrooms.
“We will have three groups of six guardians around the building and they can notify us immediately of any
leaks, burst pipes, or problems, whereas if the property was empty such issues could go unnoticed for 24
hours,” he said.
On the downside, guardians can be asked to leave with four weeks’ notice and are housed under a
licence agreement, not a tenancy agreement. The concept originated in Holland in the 1970s. Ireland’s
guardians live in disused offices, schools, nursing homes, hotels and ghost estates. They are interviewed
before being given accommodation and they must be in employment.
The Irish Times | 10-08-2012
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Irish Examiner | 03-07-2012
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The Sun | 22-05-2012
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‘Guardians’ sought for manor house property in Waterford city
A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT company
is offering accommodation at a large
vacant property in Waterford city for €25 a
week.
However, it‟s not your regular tenancy –
applications are expected to reside at the
property as „guardians‟ rather than regular
tenants.
Camelot Properties is seeking „guardians‟
for vacant properties around Ireland,
which include a convent in Co Cork and a
hospital in Co Dublin as well as the manor
house in Waterford city.
Twenty-five places are available at the
Waterford premises which is a former
retreat centre with en-suit rooms, large
communal living spaces and gardens.
Guardians, who are treated as security guards rather than tenants, are provided with accommodation for a minimum
of three months. They must be prepared to move out at 24-hour notice, however, though the company says it tries to
accommodate guardians in other properties in the area if they are interested.
Applicants have to be over 18, provide proof of employment, and have no criminal record. They will be subject to the
same background check as a security guard. No pets or children are allowed in the property.
Operating in Ireland since 2006, Camelot Properties has a number of NAMA-controlled properties on its books as
well as privately-owned properties. Their clients across Europe include religious orders, governments, banks,
councils, developers and private owners.
A spokesperson for the company said that artists, photographers, and a dollhouse restorer have acted as guardians
at their properties elsewhere in Europe, using the spacious vacant properties as studios.
Camelot currently has between 120 and 150 guardians at their properties in Ireland.
The company‟s regional manager for Ireland Damian Woods said that putting guardians into a vacant property
protects against vandalism.
“Camelot will accommodate those over the age of 18 who have proof of a regular income and no criminal record,” he
said. “Each property that Camelot protects is wind proof and water tight, with functioning water and electricity.”
Camelot is offering a €50 „finders fee‟ for anyone who nominates a family member or friend as a guardian who moves
into the Waterford manor house. Further details are available on the company website.
The Journal | 16-05-2012
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The Irish Times - Thursday, May 10, 2012
€7.5 million sought for Haughey mansion
Six years after the former taoiseach’s death, his beloved Abbeville comes on the market at a muchreduced price, writes FRANK McDONALD , Environment Editor
WHOEVER BUYS Abbeville will have to live with the ghost of Charles J Haughey. It was here that he
held court for decades, having confidential meetings in his book-lined study with the likes of Dermot
Desmond, Patrick Gallagher, Larry Goodman and Des Traynor, or entertaining lavishly in its grand
ballroom.
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage lists it as a nine-bay two-storey over basement country
house, dating from 1770 and extended about 20 years later by James Gandon, architect of the Custom
House and the Four Courts. The dining room, it notes, is “regarded as Gandon’s finest surviving domestic
interior”.
Gandon, whose client and patron was John Beresford, then chairman of the Revenue Commissioners,
also designed the stables at the rear, where Haughey kept some of his horses. The perfect picture of him
as a country squire was done by Edward McGuire, showing the late taoiseach on horseback in front of
Abbeville.
Haughey “adored the place – you could see when he was walking the land that he appreciated the
heritage”, Sam Stephenson recalled. Stephenson designed an Irish bar for Haughey, its counter salvaged
from a Belfast bank; his architectural partner, Arthur Gibney, did watercolours that were used for
Haughey’s Christmas cards.
He always styled it as “Kinsaley”, the more antiquated form of the townland’s name; that’s how it was
rendered on the memorial cards sent out by the Haughey family after his death in June 2006. Even laid
out in his coffin at Abbeville, former finance minister Ray MacSharry detected a smile of “old devilment”
on his face.
El Diablo, as PJ Mara used to call his boss, left his mark on the place. The fountain in front has a mosaic
plaque bearing the family crest Marte Nostro (“by our own efforts”), which is repeated in stone at the
entrance to the stables. On the west-facing conservatory is a direction sign to his Kerry island:
“Inismhicileáin 12000”. As Private Eye would say, “Shurely shome mishtake”. Even the mosaic plaque laid
in front of the two-tier fountain is erroneous by including Ex Libris (“from the library”) above its pompous
crest, beneath which is inscribed the name Charles James Haughey; it’s as if the artist copied the stamp
he used to mark his books.
The Irish Times | 10-05-2012
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Home could be a Hotel
By Noel O’Driscoll
NO pets, no children, no parties– if you can abide by these rules you could be the next resident of the
Carlton Abbey Hotel in Athy.
Home could be a hotel
The Camelot property management company is looking for five people to live in the hotel as live-in
guardians. The hotel closed suddenly on 2 January.
Those selected to become live-in guardians will pay €100 per calendar month under a temporary lease
agreement to live in the hotel and provide a round the clock presence on the property.
Jeff McCann of Camelot Ireland said the guardians provide a human presence on the property. “This will
insure that the building is in constant occupation and it is the most natural deterrent to burglars. We are
looking for five live-in guardians in Athy and the guardians will live in the property under a temporary
lease agreement as opposed to a rent. As part of the agreement they agree that there will be no parties,
no pets and no children. We also insist that guardians notify us in advance of any guests that they might
be having at the property.”
The Kildare Nationalist understands that a strict vetting process exists for those wishing to become live-in
guardians and those who are interested can apply online on the Camelot Ireland website.
Kildare Nationalist | 01-05-2012
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The Irish Times | 03-11-2011
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The Sunday Times | 27-03-2011
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