Going with the flow
First-time buyers lured back by residences on the banks of the Royal Canal Greenway
Westfield, Leixlip, Co Kildare ASKING PRICE: €365,000-€450,000
AGENT: Sherry FitzGerald Brady O’Flaherty (01) 6510000 or Sherry FitzGerald New Homes (01) 6671888
YOUNG first-time buyers renting in Dublin accounted for most of the purchases in the first release at Westfield, the first large new estate to launch in Leixlip in a decade. About 80pc of the novice purchasers at Westfield — who were often accompanied by their parents on viewings — are from Leixlip originally and were keen to return to the Co Kildare town to settle down, according to the selling agent.
All the 30 homes in the initial release were sold in the wake of a pre-launch held three weeks ago, so the agents have put a further 10 houses on the market for this weekend’s official launch of the showhouse.
Westfield is so named because it’s the most westerly development in Leixlip, which is situated on the confluence of the River Liffey and the Rye Water. The development is close to the Royal Canal Greenway, a 145km-cycling and walking trail that will stretch from Dublin to
Galway when it’s eventually finished.
The scheme, being developed by Killross Properties, is located off Leixlip’s Easton Road, will have 195 townhouses, semi-detached and detached properties laid out in a series of cul-desacs when it’s complete. There are also plans for two small blocks of two-bed apartments either end of the site and a creche.
Starting prices for the upcoming release of 10 homes range from €365,000 to €385,000 for a
1,316-sq ft three-bed type, which is available as a mid-terraced, end-of-terrace or semi-detached style. Prices for the four-beds go from €400,000 to €450,000, and these come in semi-detached and detached designs, with some having the main entrance to the gable end of the property. Sizes for the four-beds range from 1,529 sq ft to
2,196 sq ft.
Attics are floored and ready for a future conversion. A buyer of a three-bed could increase the size of their home by 300 sq ft by adding a bedroom to the attic, while purchasers of a four- bed could extend their living space by 400 sq ft through an attic conversion.
Externally, there is a full-brick facade to most of the houses at Westfield, with a bay window to the front of the ground floor.
There is a walled garden to the rear and a landscaped garden with a paved driveway to the front.
On entering each property, there are extra-high ceilings and tall doors throughout the ground floor. The contemporary-style fitted kitchen and island, which come in a choice of colours, are supplied by Lucan-based Gallagher Kitchens. The living room is fitted with a feature electric fire and all the bedrooms have fitted wardrobes.
To the ground floor of the three-bed Carton style, named after nearby Carton House, there is a separate living room up front, a guest WC, and a square-shaped kitchen/dining/family room with a set of double doors that lead out to the garden. A staircase in the middle of the house leads to the first floor, home to a master ensuite to the rear, a double bedroom, a single bedroom, and a family bathroom.
Energy-saving features give all the Westfield houses an A3 BER meaning €700 a year in utility bills. Westfield is about 1km west of Leixlip town and beside Junction 6 of the M4 motorway. Tthe Intel plant, the town’s main employer with a workforce of about 3,500, is close by.
Viewings tomorrow and Sunday, from 1pm to 3pm.