With only a very limited supply of starter homes available close to Dublin city, buyers are increasingly looking further afield - where there is invariably much better value to be had.
St Raphael's Manor in Celbridge, Co Kildare, is as good an example as you will get and with prices among the most competitive in the market, the latest phase of homes going for sale this weekend is likely to be in strong demand from Dublin-based buyers.
Two-bedroom terraced homes with 862 sq ft will be priced from £139,950 to £144,950 (€177,737E184,048) while three-bedroom end-of-terrace units with 1,160 sq ft will start at £159,950 (€203,137). Billy O'Sullivan and Associates will be staffing two showhouses this weekend.
Sean Dunne's company, Mountbrook Homes Ltd, is building a total of 165 homes in the final phase of St Raphael's Manor. About 100 of them will be two-bedroom homes, ideal for single people, investors, young couples looking for their first home and older couples opting to trade down. The units are being built on what is probably the best part of the St Raphael's site, behind the high cut-stone wall at the entrance and within five minutes' walk of the town centre.
The homes have an attractive facade of brick and render, and have landscaped gardens front and rear.
Of the 40 homes being launched this weekend, 30 are two-bedroom terraced houses and the remainder are three-bedroom end-of-terrace units. All have leanto conservatories off the kitchen/diningroom, which is designed to capture the sun for much of the day.
The livingrooms are bright and spacious with a decorative pine fireplace wired for an electric fire. Like the three-bedroom homes, they have tongue and grooved flooring upstairs and a well-finished bathroom with both a bath and a separate shower. Both bedrooms are doubles, while the three-bedroom units have two doubles and a single. These homes will be larger than usual with 1,160 sq ft, including a livingroom and separate kitchen/ diningroom.
Although St Raphael's was only launched four years ago and now comprises about 450 homes, the estate has already acquired a mature look, due mainly to the high standard of landscaping, the attractive layout of the houses and the good quality public lighting, footpaths and roads.
The final phase is expected to be completed by this summer. Three-bed semis, which constitute most of St Raphael's, have risen sharply in value since their launch four years ago. While the original selling price was £84,500 (€107,315), the same houses are now making up to £165,000 (€209,550).
The capital appreciation was greatly helped by the popularity of Celbridge, a heritage town with an excellent range of facilities.
According to Billy O'Sullivan, families much prefer to live in a town with schools, churches, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants than in some of the sprawling estates which have little or no public facilities.
Celbridge still has green fields and walled estates which enhance its appeal. The town is about 13 miles from the city centre, a 30minute drive outside rush hours. There is an Arrow railway station not far away at Hazelhatch and good peak hour services to and from Heuston Station.
Mountbrook Homes built St Helen's Wood and Merrion Grove in Booterstown and Fosterbrook in Stillorgan. Apart from St Raphael's Manor, it also developed Oldtown Mill in Celbridge.
