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Most projects to renovate vacant buildings for homes too costly, study finds
The cost of renovating vacant properties to live in is so high it does not make economic sense most of the time to carry out
Help-to-Buy and First Home schemes ‘fuelling rising prices’ of new houses
Government policies have been cited as the main reason the cost of new houses is rising faster than those of second-hand homes. Prices of new
House price growth to slow to 3pc nationally as rates rise and cost-of-living pressures hit purchasing power
The property market is set for a slowdown in price rises in 2023 as mortgage interest rate rises and cost-of-living increases affect buying ability, according
Introduction of concrete levy set to ‘severely impact’ cost of construction
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has introduced a Defective Concrete Products Levy in this year’s budget which will come into force from April 3 next year. The new
Cost of living rises hitting prospective renters and buyers, survey finds
The rise in the cost of living is having a significant effect on prospective renters and homebuyers, a new survey has found. According to data
Building costs to continue rising but at slower pace, surveyors predict
Building costs will continue rising this year but the pace of inflation should slow in coming months, surveyors say. The prices that builders bid for
Minister O’Brien welcomes the report of the working group examining defects in purpose-built apartments and duplexes constructed between 1991 and 2013
Having consulted widely and at length with stakeholders and interested parties, the Working Group estimates that of apartments and duplexes (or associated common areas) constructed
Ireland’s Celtic Tiger legacy: expensive loans, faulty apartments and Europe’s worst housing crisis
Impact of 2008 meltdown and its belt-tightening aftermath still reverberate Ireland’s stellar financial blowout in 2008 and the follow-up austerity project, the biggest undertaken by
Mortgage rates fall in Ireland, bucking trend across the Eurozone
MORTGAGE interest rates in this country fell in May, bucking the trend in a number of European countries. And the gap between rates in Ireland
Irish home price growth set to slip to 4% over next year
Projected fall set to follow sharp rise after worst of coronavirus pandemic, notes survey of estate agents Irish home price growth is set to ease
Land scarcity, planning issues and spiralling costs delay delivery of new homes
A combination of a shortage of residential development land, planning delays and spiralling labour and material costs are hindering the construction sector’s ability to deliver
Property prices defy cost-of-living squeeze to rise 15.2%
Rising cost-of-living issues failed to dampen Irish property prices, which hit a seven-year high in March, with prices 15.2 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Surge in building material costs picking up pace, suppliers warn
Timber and other key building material prices are rising at a faster rate than this time last year, suppliers have warned. Overall construction material costs
Landlords Take Note: Tenancies Must Now be Registered Annually with the RT
New legislation commencing today requires landlords to register their tenancies with the RTB every year, within one month of the anniversary of when the tenancy
New Loft Conversion Guidelines Published
The Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage published new loft conversion guidelines document. This document highlights the principal issues (including fire safety) that need
House prices soaring by €100 a day as property heats up to boom-time levels
House prices are increasing by Celtic Tiger levels of almost €100 a day as the market shows no signs of slowing down. The Q1 Irish Independent REA
Concerns rise on viability in building sector
Concerns around the viability of many construction projects in Ireland are increasing due to rising materials costs and staff shortages and, now, the impact of
Residential construction activity tops pre-pandemic levels
Residential construction activity exceeded pre-pandemic levels last year, topping more than 30,000 units, according to a report from Deloitte. Deloitte Ireland’s latest Real Estate Planning &
Labour and material shortage may impact retrofit scheme
The Government’s push to get hundreds of thousands of homes retrofitted has become more urgent, as the cost of fuel rises and the clock ticks
Apartment & Duplex Building Defects Survey Launched
A series of online surveys are being launched by the Working Group to Examine Defects in Housing. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage,
Surveyors lobby legal regulator to build e-conveyancing system
Ireland’s property surveyors have urged the legal profession to introduce a digital conveyancing system to stop the long delays that are hampering the property market.
House prices forecast to rise by 5% as supply struggles to meet demand
Property prices are expected to rise by about 5 per cent this year as supply shortages, pent-up demand and pandemic savings continue to drive activity,
Happy Christmas from ABL Surveyors
We would like to wish all of our clients and many customers a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year and look forward to working
Recovery of construction continues despite sharp rise in prices
Index figures show continuation of strong growth through middle of the fourth quarter Construction’s recovery continued its momentum last month, despite sharply rising prices, figures
Residential property prices up 12.4% in the year to September
Residential property prices increased by 12.4 per cent nationally in the year to September, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). This compares
Cost of building rising at twice rate as before pandemic
The cost of building is rising at twice the rate that it was before the pandemic, according to a new survey. The Society of Chartered Surveyors
House prices growing twice as fast outside cities in Covid exodus
Workers are still looking to move away from the cities despite the easing of Covid restrictions and the return of office life. The trend of
Covid-19 and housing crisis drive demand for better rental properties
At a time when housing market concerns are top of the agenda, the findings of Knight Frank Ireland’s research into the preferences of the occupiers
Buying a house: should we play it safe or go for it
We have been looking to buy a house in south Dublin for some years now. We have recently found a house in a great location.
Property prices rise at fastest pace in two years
PROPERTY prices have risen again, piling more pressure on people trying to purchase their first home. March saw prices rise at their fastest pace in
Surge in home purchases despite lockdown restrictions
RESTRICTIONS on viewing properties have failed to dampen activity in the housing market. The third lockdown means buyers have had to resort to virtual viewings
Majority of new home schemes delayed by up to six months by Covid-19 lockdowns
As with other sectors, the new homes market has been adversely affected by the pandemic lockdowns. The latest one will begin to lift on April
Cost to develop Dublin city apartment as much as €619,000
The cost of delivering a two-bed apartment in Dublin ranges from €359,000 for a low-rise unit in the suburbs to as much as €619,000 for
Irish house prices forecast to rise by 4% as supply struggles to meet demand
Irish residential property prices, which remained resilient during the Covid-19 shock last year, are set to rise by an average of 4 per cent in
Covid-19 crisis likely to make home-buying more exclusive
The Covid-19 crisis has made home-ownership more of a priority for some people but financially more difficult for others, a survey by KBC Bank Ireland has
High time for Government to play its proper part in solving the housing crisis
Housing is at a crossroads in Ireland. We can continue lurching from crisis to crisis with “Generation Rent”, the homeless, and future generations locked out
New home completions down nearly 10% in third quarter
The number of new homes completed in the third quarter fell by 9.4 per cent as the slowdown in construction from Covid-19 continued to bite.
Housing crisis here to stay in absence of big rethink, industry warns
The housing crisis will be a “permanent issue in Irish society” unless there is a radical rethink on how to deliver more affordable homes, industry
House price inflation returns but Covid has ‘disrupted’ bubble fears
It will be a full and further decade before Ireland’s housing market finds equilibrium between supply and demand, it has been claimed, as the Government
Expert warns crash in Irish construction likely to be biggest on record
The Irish construction industry is likely to have suffered the biggest quarterly crash in activity on record as a result of coronavirus, with output falling
My neighbour has built on our party wall without consent. What can I do?
See the question below recently submitted to the Irish Times Property Clinic: My neighbour has built on our party wall. I asked the builder to
As apartment owners, what should we look for in our management company’s accounts?
See details below in relation to a query issued to the Property clinic from a reader: We recently sold our house, where we had lived
Cost of building three-bedroom Dublin home jumps by €41,000 in four years
The cost of building a three-bedroom semi-detached house in the greater Dublin area has increased by €41,000 over the last four years, a new report
Social housing expected to attract considerable private investment
There is likely to be “considerable investment” in Irish social housing from private interests – both domestic and international – in the coming years, according
Rents edge up in June as house prices fall
Renting a home continued to cost more in June while house prices declined despite a substantial increase in activity in the property market last month,
Affordable homes pledged by the new Government will cost between €160,000 and €250,000, according to the Housing Minister.
Darragh O’Brien says many people are “stuck in a rip-off rental trap” and the new Government wants to address that. He told Newstalk Breakfast the aim is
Mortgage seekers face tighter criteria over Covid-19 wage subsidy
Several Irish lenders have introduced tighter checks and stricter conditions on mortgages for those in receipt of Covid-era wage subsidies. In some instances, borrowers will
Homeowners now rushing to take out up to €30,000 of mortgage equity to do renovations
There has been a surge of interest from people looking to release equity on their homes when they switch mortgage. People doing this are typically
Property prices rebound in May in biggest monthly rise since 2015
Property prices staged a minor rebound in May having fallen sharply the previous month, while the stock of rental properties available in the month continued
Property set to reopen on June 8th!
Further to last week’s publication of the Joint Sector Protocol for Property Services Providers and the Valuation Sector jointly developed by SCSI, the PSRA and
Fears as many as 70pc of apartments built here between 2000 and 2008 are fire deficient
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
Why we keep making the same mistakes over housing
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
First-time buyers’ deposit scheme to go live on January 3rd
First-time buyers hoping to complete the purchase of their first home in 2017 will be able to apply for their 5 per cent tax rebate
Thousands of homeowners to get trackers back at last
Thousands of homeowners who had their tracker mortgages taken off them by their bank are due to get a Christmas present by being restored to
First-time buyer deposits cut to 10% as Central Bank eases mortgage rules
First-time buyers will only be required to have a deposit of 10 per cent regardless of the value of a property when applying for a
Chartered Surveyors say Help to Buy Scheme grant will have little impact on housing crisis
The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland has said the ‘Help to Buy’ scheme announced in Budget 2017 will have very little impact on the housing
Housing supply at worst level for 50 years as prices exceed boom-time levels
And in further signs of a dysfunctional market, prices in some parts of the country are rising at a faster pace than during the boom
Census 2016: Number of vacant houses ‘scandalous’
There are almost 260,000 vacant homes across the country, preliminary figures from the latest census show, prompting campaigners and housing experts to call for urgent
Average age of first-time buyers now 34 as bank’s rules bite
The average age of a person buying their first home in Ireland has risen to 34 – which is five years older than what it
One in five rule out home ownership, study shows
Almost 20 per cent of Irish adults who do not own their own homes believe it is beyond them because of high rents and tighter Central
IMF: No need to change Ireland’s mortgage rules
The IMF has credited the Central Bank’s mortgage lending rules with steadying house prices here, saying there is no need to change them. The rules,
Central Bank to review mortgage rules, says governor
The controversial Central Bank mortgage rules, which have particularly affected first-time buyers, will be reviewed in the summer, the bank’s new governor has said. His comments in
New mortgage rules have taken ‘froth’ out of property prices
Early evidence suggests that the Central Bank’s new lending restrictions have taken the “froth” out of property prices, an economist with the regulator said on
A quarter of homebuyers ill-informed about property valuation
The TV ad for home insurance in which the hapless homeowners lapse into a trance while the broker outlines details of their policy surely strikes
Buyer’s guide to new homes
Buying a home is the single biggest purchase of most people’s lives. They may think they’ll do it only once but, according to UK research,
Quarter of homeowners aged 25 to 40 plan to move
A quarter of those in the 25 to 40 age group said they wanted to live in a better location, while one in 10 wanted
Call for National Housing Authority
A report commissioned by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland wants increased government support for developers and builders of new homes in order to improve
Housing crisis: Ireland needs five to 10 new Ballymuns as soon as possible!
While there is wide agreement that Ireland needs more housing supply, action is needed to encourage the right kind of supply based on a vision of the
Home ownership still remains far out of reach for a generation
A home, however modest, is one of the most fundamental needs of every human being. Yet considerable numbers of individuals and families in Ireland do
Housing crisis forces 10,000 a month to rent
Private rented sector tenants have risen by more than half in just 18 months. Almost 700,000 people are now living in leased houses, flats or
Government Dirt incentive for first-time buyers not a great help
First-time buyers looking to save a deposit to secure their first home can now claim back tax paid on their savings to help them on
SCSI Launch “A Clear Guide to Chartered Building Surveyors”
The Society published ‘A Clear Guide to Chartered Building Surveyors’ which outlines the key roles and responsibilities of a Chartered Building Surveyor. Read the full details
Buyers’ changing profile means market is much different to Tiger days
Whether it has been US firms such as Blackstone and Kennedy Wilson, Asian firms such as Oxley, or big European players such as DZ Bank,
Five things you need to know about the new mortgage rules
Well, they’re finally here. After months of speculation, frantic lobbying by interested parties and concerned visits to their bank by putative homeowners, the Central Bank has finally announced
Central Bank announces new regulations on residential mortgage lending
The Central Bank of Ireland has published new regulations on residential mortgage lending.Loan to Value (LTV) for principal dwelling houses (PDH) There are different limits for different categories
Thousands of rented homes in capital found to be substandard
A major report by the country’s largest local authority has uncovered extensive health and safety issues facing tenants. Environmental experts inspected more than 5,000 homes
New mortgage rules mean most buyers to need 20% deposit
New mortgage rules published today by the Central Bank mean that most house buyers will have to have a 20 per cent deposit when applying for a
Mortgage clampdown proposals will have serious knock-on effects
On the face of it, the Central Bank’s recent proposals to limit lending to borrowers are probably not a bad thing. If it can help
E-conveyancing could reduce transaction to five days
The development of a fully electronic conveyancing system will reduce the total transaction time for buying a house to as little as five days, the Law
Full steam ahead as property recovery predicted to continue
There is around €5bn in requirements looking for opportunities, with IBRC, Ulster Bank and NAMA seen as the key strategic vendors supplying the market with
City planning ‘crucial for future prosperity’
Property Industry Ireland director Peter Stafford said the lack of planning was now becoming an urgent issue. “Two out of every three people live on
Homeowners selling houses with Radon gas face €1,000 bill
Concerns about the number of houses identified as being at risk has prompted the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) to recommend that new regulations
Eight in 10 new homes are never inspected for defects despite Priory Hall debacle
THOUSANDS of new homes have not been inspected by local authorities despite the fallout from the Priory Hall scandal. Eight in every 10 houses and
Tips for Buying & Selling!
Read the full article in the Irish Independent If it’s a Structural Survey Report (Building Survey Report, House Survey Report, Home Survey Report, Property Survey Report,
Old registration system will deter new investment
AN expert in property registration has warned that the Government must act quickly to improve Ireland’s property registration system and increase online access to title
Pyrite homes included in property tax
The Department of Finance has confirmed households affected by the naturally occurring mineral will be liable for the new charge, despite earlier recommendations for an
Government issues Guidelines on Loft Conversions
Converting the roof space may be a convenient way of obtaining additional living space inan existing dwelling house, without extending into the garden. However there
New Septic Tank Inspection Legislation
The Department of the Environment recently published an information leaflet for home owners who have septic tanks. The leaflet sets out the relevant legislation and
Land Surveying & Traffic Management
ABL Surveyors are delighted to announce that Ciaran Byrd, BSc MSCSI MRICS recently obtained a qualification in Traffic Management (FAS CSCS in Signing Lighting and
Report of The Pyrite Panel
The Department of the Environment recently published the long awaited report on the issue of Pyrites.The issue of pyrite heave first came to the attention
House prices due to fall sharply in wake of pandemic
House prices are likely to fall sharply over the next year, a leading think tank has predicted. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has
Covid-19: Property industry and insurers must grapple with pandemic risk
Covid-19 has meant shuttering multiple business premises across the State. Yet tenants must continue to pay their rent and landlords must continue to service their
David McWilliams: Want to fix the housing crisis? Tax land
In June 1858, during the second Opium War, Britain and France, in cahoots with the other major European powers and the United States, forced China to
New agency will buy private lands to develop for housing
A new Government agency will buy private land adjoining existing prime sites held by State and semi-State organisations in order to assemble land holdings that
What is the difference between old Building Control and new?
A very strong ‘blame culture’ emerged and media contributors regularly offered perceived opinions on the causes and remedies of many highprofile failures which unfortunately bedevilled
Revealed: Japanese knotweed not a big deal after all, groundbreaking report says
The prayers of homeowners whose property values are weighed down by Japanese knotweed could have been answered: a new study suggests the plant is relatively
Why does it still take seven months to sell a house in Ireland?
Why does it still take seven months to sell a house in Ireland? Posted on September 26, 2018 by ciaran In the midst of many property market challenges,
The 10 reasons why house prices and rents must fall
House prices in recent years should never have been allowed to soar to the point where they have become unaffordable for the vast majority of
First-time buyers in Ireland paying multiples more for mortgage than European average
First-time buyers here are paying multiples more for a mortgage every year than the European average. The high rates are combining with a scarcity of
House price hikes set to slow amid Brexit concerns and ‘lack of value’
House price growth is expected to slow down in the coming years amid concerns about Brexit and a lack of perceived value in the property