Demand is hig h in spite of temporary motorway works
KILDARE SOUTH AVERAGE PRICE: €250,000 Newbridge, Kildare Town, Curragh Change: s 5%
One Year Forecast: s 8% Assessing Agent: Sherry FitzGerald McDermott THE MARKET DEMAND is high for new homes in south Kildare, but new developments are few and far between.
The only building going on has been in towns close to Dublin and within reach of the M7. It is the M7 that has, however, caused the most headaches for residents of south Kildare last year. Roadworks have meant that commuters have had to factor in an extra half hour on to their journey time into Dublin, with some motorists reporting longer delays. The works are due for completion in early 2020.
Agent Charlie McDermott doesn’t think buyers have been put off by the traffic, however.
“It is a big problem for us at the moment but when it’s complete, it will be great for the county. The greatest thing that I think happened last year is that there was more confidence out there.”
Prices rose on average by 5pc last year, with the value of ex-council houses at the top of the table, going up by 8pc.
“There has been a noticeable jump in the values of three-bed ex-council houses in the past few years with demand high from first-time buyers. They are usually town-centred and close to rail services and schools, so you don’t need to have a car to live in them. They are also very well built and affordable.”
The detached 2,000sq ft houses went up from €375,000 to €400,000, with McDermott predicting that they’ll stay at this price for the coming year.
The few new developments that are coming to market in the Naas area have homes which are more expensive than their second-hand counterparts.
The three-bed semis are being sold for €275,000 or more, with the pre-loved version costing an average of €250,000. McDermott predicts that house values in
south Kildare will rise by an average of 8pc across the board, with some property types rising more.
The biggest rise is expected in apartments, particularly one-beds, which could go from €95,000 to €115,000, an increase of 20pc. Two-bed apartments are expected to go up by 10pc, which would take their current average price up from €150,000 to €165,000.