Property sales up 13 per cent
PROPERTY sales in County Wexford increased by more than 13 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, with the vast majority of houses in the county selling for less than €200,000.
According to an analysis of the Property Price Register carried out by property website MyHome.ie, 338 houses changed hands in the county during the month.
Neighbouring Wicklow’s property sales increased by 17.3 per cent to 318, however, sales in Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford all fell, with Carlow showing the biggest drop of 13.6 per cent to 102 sales.
According to the Property Price Register, the most expensive house sold in County Wexford during the first quarter of the year, was €450,000 achieved for Glendun, Slaney Woods, while historic Atramount Cottage, in Castlebridge, sold for €400,000.
The least expensive was €12,570 paid for a house at Ballymotey, Monageer.
The majority of houses sold in the county during the period were in priced within the €100,000 to €200,000 range, with less than 60 achieving more than €200,000.
Nationally, sales grew by almost four per cent with just over 10,000 homes changing hands.
Sales in Dublin comprised just over a third of this total at 3,407, an increase of 5.7 per cent on the same period last year.
Angela Keegan, Managing Director of MyHome.ie said one of the most notable trends was the upswing in sales in the capital’s commuter belt.
‘Sales in Meath are up 32 per cent, Kildare is up 26 per cent, Wicklow is up 17 per cent while Louth is up nine per cent. We’re all aware of the shortage of properties in Dublin and the resulting higher prices so it’s clear buyers have decided – or have been forced – to opt for more affordable properties in neighbouring counties.
‘While sales may be up in the commuter belt and most other parts of Leinster, it’s a very different story in the west and south. Sales in Donegal are down 21 per cent, in Sligo its 8 per cent and in Mayo it’s 17 per cent.
‘Further south they are down 16 per cent in Limerick and 8 per cent in Kerry. Interestingly Clare is up 35 per cent, while Galway is up nine per cent and Westmeath is up 30 per cent.
‘ These figures show that the Irish property market is no longer just Dublin and the rest of the country but has fragmented into a number of micro markets which move in response to a variety of local and national factors,’ said Ms Keegan.