Author Archives: ciaran

Thousands of tenants in Dublin face an unwelcome extra bill this year as spiralling rents tip them above the €2,500-a-month level at which a little-known 1 per cent stamp duty applies. Some 55 per cent of three-bedroom Dublin city family … Continue reading →

The rate of expansion in construction activity in the Republic slowed in June, with the civil engineering segment of the market contracting slightly even as the housing and commercial subsectors remained strong, according to a report published on Monday. Read … Continue reading →

HOUSES PRICES ACROSS the country are rising more than €2,000 every single month on average, according to the latest House Price Report from Daft.ie. On a national basis, the average price of a house is €240,000 – 11.7% higher than … Continue reading →

Last week’s column discussed some recent history, in particular the regulatory backlash to the building boom that took place between 2000 and 2007. The main point was that many believe that the volume and quality of building was a result … Continue reading →

The rampant spread of an invasive plant species is devaluing properties substantially and costing home owners tens of thousands of euro to remedy. Japanese knotweed can now be found “in every county in Ireland” and there is a chronic lack … Continue reading →

The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland says that even before the Grenfell Tower fire in London, there had been “major concerns” over fire safety in multi-unit dwellings in Ireland, particularly those built between 2000 and 2008. One fire-proofing expert believes … Continue reading →

The pace of property price rises has picked up again. They were up 10.5pc in the year to April, which was stronger than the 9.6pc increase in March, according to the latest information from the Central Statistics Office. Prices rose … Continue reading →

There is nothing new under the sun and this applies as much to the Irish housing market as anything else. The truly alarming thing about the current housing crisis is that it is really just a rerun of the crisis … Continue reading →

Mortgage approvals surged 62 per cent in the first quarter of 2017 compared to the same period last year, according to figures released Thursday by Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). And the value of the loans approved is rising … Continue reading →

It is cheaper to buy than rent in many parts of the State but buying is not always best If not quite back in force, then first-time buyers are certainly looking to buy in greater numbers than in recent times. … Continue reading →