House prices in Offaly 7% higher than a year ago

The average asking price for a house in Ireland fell by 1% in the final three months of 2014, according to the 2014 Year in Review House Price Report released today by Ireland’s biggest property website, Daft.ie. This is the first time since mid-2013 that the average house price fell in a three month period.

Despite this recent fall, the average asking price nationwide is now €193,000, 12.8% higher than the value of €171,000 a year ago. This compares to €378,000 at the peak in 2007.

In Offaly, prices in the final quarter of 2014 were 7% higher than a year previously, compared to a fall of 5% seen a year ago. The average house price is now €132,000, 7% above its lowest point.

Commenting on the figures, author of the Daft.ie Report, Ronan Lyons said: “The intention of the proposed Central Bank limits on mortgage lending is to limit increases in house prices by affecting both buyer expectations and the credit available to them. It seems that, even though the limits have not yet come into force, they have already had some impact. For example, When asked what they expected will happen Dublin house prices over the coming 12 months, survey respondents in September expected an increase of 12%. In December, however, that figure had fallen to 5%”

“Restricting the amount lent to each household is a necessary first step to ensuring a stable housing market. The second step is addressing the cost base, to ensure an adequate supply of housing. With fewer than 30,000 properties on the market currently – and just 3,500 of those in Dublin – this is the challenge for policymakers as we move into 2015.”

The full report is available from www.daft.ie/report and includes a commentary by Ronan Lyons, Assistant Professor of Economics at Trinity College, Dublin, and author of the Daft Report, as well as an analysis of affordability and statistics on residential yields around the country.