Estate agents' favourite cliche - location, location location - takes on a new meaning for house-hunters who don't want to be caught in Dublin's worsening traffic conditions. Potential buyers are beginning consider commuting time an important factor in purchasing a house. With a record number of cars on the road, and the word "gridlock" entering daily conversation, morning and evening rush hours are becoming longer and longer. According to AA Roadwatch, . morning rush hour runs from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. compared with 7.30 a.m. to 8.30am in 1996. In the evening, it's 4.30 p.m. to 7 p.m., as opposed to 5.15pm to 6.45pm in 1996.

As buyers begin to calculate lost commuting time, houses within striking distance of the city centre are becoming more popular - and more expensive. In one recent case, a frantic buyer paid close to half a million pounds for small three-bedroom semi in Dublin 4, trading in his larger Sandyford home because he was spending too much time in the car.

Estate agent Simon Ensor believes a short commute adds value to a house. "As the traffic gets worse, it is becoming a bigger consideration. There are people who are sacrificing substantial houses and gardens in the suburbs, moving to a more compact home that is closer to their work. But there is a drift the other way as well. The commuting factor is driving people out towards Wicklow, Kildare, Meath and Drogheda. People are taking the view that if they are going to spend their time in traffic, then they might as well be living further out."

Many avoid the roads entirely and take public transportation - proximity to DART and train stations and bus routes is increasingly becoming important.