House hunters camp out to secure dream homes
They have taken their place in queues that have formed at three sites where sales offices won’t be opening until Saturday.
The sales rush has been sparked by developments at Shannonvale, Old Cratloe Road, Cluain Dubh, Fr Russell Road, and Golf Links Road, Castletroy.
Waylon O’Shaughnessy, 26, and his partner Jennifer Kiely, 29, were first in the Cluain Dubh queue on Tuesday.
Mr O’Shaughnessy said: “We are sharing our time in the queue as we both work and we are staying in a car.
“The semi we want will not be ready until September. But we are on a winner already as the same house in phase two of the development starts at €20,000 dearer.
“We have been looking around since November, and this house really suits what we want. We got here early to ensure we can get down our booking deposit.”
The Shannonvale development consists of 22 three-bed town houses and semis with prices ranging from €195,000 to €211,000.
Cluain Dubh is a 14-unit three-bed town house and semi development with prices starting at €220,000 and the Castletroy development consists of 12 three-bed semis priced at €232,000.
GVM Auctioneers and Rooney Auctioneers are the joint selling agents.
Tom Crosse of GVM said there was a huge shortage of new houses in the Limerick market and this has sparked the rush.
“The prices in Limerick are very competitive and there is a lack of new homes.
“The queues started on Tuesday morning and people will stay out four nights in the cold to ensure they get one of the houses.”
Some of the houses are under construction, but others are being bought off the plans and won’t be ready until later in the year.
Gordon Kearney of Rooneys said there is a big build up of prospective first-time house buyers in Limerick.
He said: “There is a serious appetite for property in Limerick at present. It’s just walking out the door.”
The city presents the best value in new houses according to Tom Crosse who said: “The three-bed semis at Shannonvale are priced at €211,000. A comparable house in Dublin would cost around €400,000, in Galway €300,000, in Cork €280,000 and in Waterford €250,000.”
