Contemporary starter homes launch in Dundrum
IT is hard at times to comprehend how the typical first-time buyer — early thirties, renting, with young children — is managing to save a deposit.
Even harder is the plight of those not in a relationship. The borrowing restrictions can seem particularly punitive in the case of this much-forgotten group. Apartments are often the suggested answer. And while apartment standards are greatly improved since the days of the boom, apartment living isn’t for everyone. Not to mention the resale value in the event of a future drop in the market, which is a concern for some.
Understandably perhaps, many first-time buyers prefer the idea of a house, even one too small to count as a very long-term family home, rather than an apartment.
Ardnabel launches in Dundrum, Dublin 14, this weekend. It is set on an infill site and these small sites are often a way into an established (for which read, more expensive), traditional suburb for first-time buyers, as they will often feature smaller, more affordable units.
This development has four homes, three A3-rated terraced houses and one larger detached property, which has gone sale agreed. The exteriors are a clean, contemporary design.
Two of the terraced units have two bedrooms and a study, and are c105sqm. Set over two storeys, the ground-floor comprises a kitchen, storage room, downstairs WC and living/ dining room. Upstairs is two bedrooms, one en suite, a main bathroom, and a study. The third terraced unit is 98sqm, and has two bedrooms as well, although without a study.
“I think the two-bed will be a target as an alternative for apartment buyers,” says John Thornton, of Laighin Homes. These homes comes with individual back gardens that include a patio and seeded areas, another benefit of stretching oneself beyond an apartment.
Tiling is standard in the kitchen and downstairs WC, with floor and wall tiling in all first-floor bathrooms. There are fitted wardrobes in all bedrooms. Kitchens include quartz worktops and splashback and integrated appliances as standard. Underfloor heating is fitted throughout the ground floor of each unit.
Windy Arbour Luas station is approximately an eight-minute walk away, and the city centre less than 15 minutes by Luas. The area is serviced by two bus routes to the city centre. Dundrum Town Centre is approximately 25 minutes away on foot, and the M50 exit is nearby. Price: from €485,000 Viewing: by appointment Agent: Savills (01) 618 1486