SEARCHES for new homes in Dublin have surged since the new first-time buyers scheme was announced – and six of the top 10 locations searched for are on the Northside according to Daft.ie.
The help-to-buy scheme that was announced in the budget earlier this month and modified last week could be worth up to €20,000 to first time buyers when it comes into effect.
The property website recorded an increase of 98 per cent in searches for new homes in the city when compared with the average daily searches for new homes in 2016.
Commenting on the data, Martin Clancy from Daft.ie said the surge was unusual.
“The spike in searches is quite large and certainly points to an increased interest in new homes on the back of the first time buyer scheme announcement by the Government,” he continued.
The most searched for Northside areas are Swords, Clonsilla, Balbriggan, Castleknock, Clontarf and Malahide.
In Dublin, house prices between July and September 2016 were five per cent higher than a year previously, compared to a rise of two per cent a year ago, according to Daft.ie.
The average house price is now €323,000, 46 per cent above its lowest point.