Francis Street apartments from £140,000 will suit young buyers

Catherine's Close in Francis Street, one of the last apartment developments in Dublin with full tax incentives for both owner-occupiers and Section 23 investors, is being launched today. This, plus its location, will be a strong selling factor.

The second phase of 125 Francis Street, a similar Danniger development, went on sale two weekends ago, with high demand reported.

Prices for the Catherine's Close development start at £140,000 for one-bedroom apartments. Two-bed apartments and duplexes start from £180,000. There are 30 underground car-parking spaces costing £25,000.

Hooke & MacDonald expects most interest to come from investors or first-time buyers looking for the convenience of city living.

Catherine's Close is a three-storey landscaped courtyard development with an underground car-park and landscaped roof garden. The development fronts on to three streets - Carman's Hall, Ash Street and Garden Lane - and is just off Francis Street.

There are a total of 42 residential units, 38 of which are one and two-bedroom, apartments and there are also four two-bedroom duplex units. All of the units carry tax incentives for both owner occupiers and Section 23 investors.

The interiors have been designed to maximise light and are quite spacious. The units on Carman's Hall overlook the street to the front and the courtyard to the rear. Apartments along Ash Street have either street or courtyard views.

A number of apartments have a separate kitchen, while in some the kitchen is closed off from the livingroom.

The one-bedroom units have 450 sq ft, the two-beds, 700 sq ft and the two-bedroom duplex units have 850 sq ft. The livingrooms vary in size from about 15 ft by 11 ft to about 21 ft 11 ft, and all have two large windows.

The internal layout of a typical two-bedroom unit comprises livingroom, kitchen, bathroom, hall and storage closet. The main bedroom is a double, while the second is a large single room and both have wardrobes.

A typical one-bedroom unit is similar - kitchen, livingroom, bathroom, double and sizeable storage closet. The duplex apartment has the added benefit of a large balcony off the kitchen, which overlooks the landscaped courtyard. The main bedroom is very spacious, while the second bedroom is standard size.

The communal areas - lobby, hall, roof garden and courtyard - are well finished. There are six different entrances and some ground-floor units have front doors with street access.

The area around Francis Street and Christ Church are very good for letting because of the number of businesses, institutions, hospitals and colleges nearby.

The Liberties has seen an increasing population of young people moving into the area over the last few years.