Commuter belt house prices rising

High house prices in the capital are forcing people into longer commutes to and from work, according to a study, which shows prices in commuter counties around Dublin are being driven up as a result.

Figures from the Real Estate Alliance (REA) indicate that while the average cost of the three-bed semi-detached home in Dublin has decreased or levelled off in Dublin city and county, the equivalent prices in commuter counties and the rest of the country have inched upwards.

The REA’s Average House Price Survey, which concentrates on the sale price of Ireland’s typical stock home, the three-bed semi, also reflects a fall in the number of first-time buyers between the ages of 25 and 40 in the Dublin housing market in the first quarter of this year.