Laois house prices have risen by 11 per cent in the past year, according to the latest Daft.ie report.
In Laois, prices in the first three months of 2017 were 11% higher than a year previously, compared to a rise of 12% seen a year ago.
The average house price in the county is now €157,000, 52% above its lowest point.
House prices rose by an average of 4.3% during the first three months of 2017, the largest three-month increase in two years, according to the latest House Price Report released today (Sunday) by property website, Daft.ie
The annual rate of inflation in Dublin was 8.7% in the year to March, up from just 1% at the same time last year. Inflation has also increased in the other cities and in Leinster outside of Dublin.
In both Galway and Limerick, the average price is 16.3% higher than a year previously. In Cork city, prices are 10.7% higher than the same period in 2016, while in Waterford, the increase was 13.9%.
Elsewhere in the country, the average rate of inflation was 9.4%, but this varied from 16% in Longford to just 3.6% in Kerry.
Laois has consistently proved to be a popular place for people to relocate to.
Portlaoise showed dramatic population growth in recent years, being the fastest growing town outside of Dublin.
With a comprehensive rail service, as well as a strong motorway network, Laois has seen a population surge far in excess of other towns in the midlands region.
The national average list price during the first three months of the year was €230,000, 9.4% higher than a year previously and over €65,000 higher than its lowest point.
The Daft.ie report also shows the decline in the total number of properties for sale nationwide continues, with just 20,500 homes on the market in March, down from almost 24,000 a year ago.
This figure is at its lowest since October 2006 and is down two-thirds (67.4%) from the October 2008 peak of almost 63,000.
Demand
Commenting on the figures, Ronan Lyons, economist at Trinity College Dublin and author of the Daft.ie Report, said: “The combined effect of the tweaks to Central Bank mortgage rules and the new help-to-buy scheme has been to significantly stimulate first-time buyer demand.
“This is seen in renewed house price growth, particularly in and around the major cities. While there may have been a political motive to these measures, it is important now that the chronic lack of construction activity becomes the main focus for policymakers,” he said.
SEE ALSO – Portlaoise should become a satellite town of Dublin
