These days, it’s important to think creatively about where to buy; even if you work in Dublin, you don’t necessarily have to live in Dublin. Being open to settling in multiple areas will not only open up your options, it can enrich your life with a growing community. Often, this also gives you more access to beautifully designed, A-rated sustainable housing.

Living Room, 'Rath Rua'.

Glenveagh is known for delivering quality homes in new and vibrant communities across Ireland. And Rath Rua is one of the latest to reach the market. Located just a stone’s throw away from the centre of Portlaoise, County Laois, this busy town offers the perfect solution for families and first-time buyers looking for modern, stylish homes in a well-established community.

The locality offers a host of family-friendly activities and amenities from great schools and cafes, to parks and retail such as the Laois Shopping Centre. For the more outdoorsy types, sports clubs are aplenty. Rugby, GAA and athletics are well catered for, with the Portlaoise Leisure Centre and natural attractions like the Rock of Dunamase and Slieve Bloom Mountains for adventurers. With homes starting from €305,000 only, it is a great way to be surrounded by picturesque scenery and yet close to work.

This connectivity to Dublin is truly excellent. With the M7 motorway, N80, and N77 plus public transport options of train and bus, your commute is made straight forward to the capital; taking only 1 hour and 10 minutes to the centre of the city. A great solution to the oversubscribed traditional commuter towns, Portlaoise is an ideal place to live for those seeking a more affordable home in a highly connected community.

Financially there are additional advantages also. Homes in Rath Rua qualify for both the Help to Buy and First Home Scheme. With Help to Buy, you could receive up to €30,000 as a tax rebate towards your deposit. While the First Home Scheme provides shared equity of up to an additional 20%. Using both schemes simultaneously can make the leap much more affordable again.

We can use the Glenveagh Mortgage Calculator to show a real-world example. Let’s take a two-bed property in Rath Rua: The home purchase price is €305,000 and first-time buyers are required to have a deposit of 10% of the property value. With the Help to Buy scheme, you can get a maximum of €30,000 towards your deposit, meaning the remaining needed is only €500. 

The First Home Scheme would bridge any difference between the deposit and the mortgage up to the value of 20% of the property price. When used in conjunction with the Help to Buy scheme, this would equate €61,000 in our example. So the total mortgage needed to purchase the home would be €213,500. Meaning an estimated monthly repayment of €907 based on a 35-year term with a 3.7% interest rate.

Your mortgage would likely cost less than it would to rent this BER-efficient property, and on top of that, it would be a solid first step on the property ladder.

For more information on this in-demand community, visit the Glenveagh website.