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Top 15 First-time Buyer Hotspots in Dublin

It’s a tough time to be a first-time buyer in Dublin.

But there is plenty of opportunities for savvy buyers who are keen to get ahead of the curve. Today, we’ll take a look at the 15 affordable first-time buyer hotspots in Dublin.

Drimnagh, Crumlin, and Kimmage

The Dublin 12 trio of DrimnaghCrumlin, and Kimmage is a vibrant hub for first-time buyers. Dublin 12 represents good value with two- or three-bed semi-detached going around €300,000. Crumlin’s recent rejuvenation has made it a top choice for buyers. Close to the city centre, Crumlin represents good value with a smattering of nearby amenities.

Drimnagh, too, is boosted by its closeness to the Luas Red line, with Dublin city centre a handy 20-minute trip away. For those working in south Dublin, Kimmage could be the perfect stop-gap. Nearby Rathgar, Rathmines, and Terenure are too pricey, with houses in excess above €500,000.

Kimmage’s demographic has been changing with younger families calling it home. The property market here has a smattering of period homes and a handful of properties bearing sale prices of less than €300,000.

North Inner City

North Inner City has been on the rise for the past few years. Now, the area has gotten a recent boost with the news that two substantial academic buildings have been given the go-ahead with a completion date for September 2020 in the expansion of DIT’s campus in Grangegorman.

The work is intended to bring 10,000 students and 600 staff together, with the creation of more than 1,300 jobs – which will be a major boon for the area and will likely predicate an influx of stellar restaurants and coffee shops. That means we can expect a knock-on effect to the north inner city at large, with an emphasis on the already-bustling Smithfield and Stoneybatter. Stoneybatter is enduringly popular and has a neighbourly effect on Smithfield.

Outer suburban idylls

Dublin is a city of villages – and a city of sprawling suburbs. Dublin 8 is endemic of that, with its mix of art students in NCAD alongside the ‘true Dublin’ of the Liberties and its antique quarter. But the suburbs stretch further too, encapsulating areas such as Swords and Lucan – a duo with just as much character as its Dublin 8 siblings.

The morning commute from Swords or Lucan could be an hour plus on off-days on the M50 but the trade-off is value for money.

Lucan is also close to Grange Castle Business park (industry giants like Google, Microsoft, and Pfizer have offices here) and it’s a close spin to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre while Phoenix Park is nearby for summer days out.

Go (south) West

West county Dublin edges out the rest of the city for affordability. Saggart is at the heart of that, as Dublin’s fastest-growing town with a population increase of 46.1% from 2011 to 2016. It’s far enough west to be considered on the edge of town, but it’s still got plenty going for it, not least of all in property price and the ease of travel with the M50 and the Luas line.

Townhouses and apartments start in or around the €200,000 mark while semi-detached and terraced homes are harder to come by, with prices stretching beyond €300,000.

On the Luas line to is Tallaght, which has undergone an urban metamorphosis in recent years with The Square and Rua Red, a 4-storey arts building. The National Basketball Arena is nearby while the Shamrock Rovers FC call Tallaght home.

Tallaght is also one of the best places in Dublin for community spirit with many of its older estates still occupied by the original owners. As with Dublin as a whole, prices vary considerably, with 84 properties listed on Daft in the region of €135,000 (a one-bed apartment) to €350,000 for a spacious 4-bed, semi-detached in Ellensborough Rise.

Moving towards the city centre but still, Dublin west-adjacent is Clondalkin. A diverse mix of suburban estates and history, it’s also home to vegetarian nirvana/Wicklow supplant in the Happy Pear at the round tower. Above all else, it’s ideally located with easy access to The Square, Liffey Valley, and the city centre.

Alongside the Happy Pear, there’s a good choice in eateries with the Honeycomb Bakery and East Village Coffee on Monastery Road.

ABC

Rounding out our list of affordable shouts for FTBs is the ‘ABC’ of Dublin – or ArtaneBeaumont, and Coolock, a bundle of suburban neighbours entrenched in the city’s vibrant atmosphere.
A house in any of the ABC will hit you in the pocket – but that’s not unexpected given the proximity to town.

Artane has even got the seal of approval from a SAS report that used machine learning to analyse five million data points from around the world to decide where the nicest places to live are. West Perth, Australia came out on top – though Artane was ranked among Ireland’s finest.

If machine learning doesn’t quite do it for you, property prices are a draw. Expect to pay in the range of €225,000 for an apartment in Timbermill while house prices range from €265,000 upwards for a terraced home.

Coolock’s also got the Odeon and the Leisureplex while Beaumont is best known for its hospital. It’s ideal for young families with a choice of schools and a demographic that skews young.

The Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, the Helix, and Croke Park are all nearby, while there’s an abundance of pubs and restaurants to choose from.

While first-time buyers might be wary of rising house prices in Dublin, there’s still plenty of good value to be had, with new and emerging hotspots coming to attention all the time.

Are you looking to buy a house in Dublin?

Before you go house hunting it’s a good idea to get your mortgage arranged – or at least discussed so you know where you stand.

Get the ball rolling with our First Time Buyer and Next Time Buyer guides.

If you’d like to talk through your mortgage options book a 30 Minute Mortgage Meeting with your local Mortgage Master. You can use our mortgage calculator to find out how much you may be able to borrow.

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