First-time buyers feeling the squeeze of the over-priced Dublin starter market will find great value in a new housing development launching in Arklow, Co Wicklow this weekend. Prices for spacious three-bedroom houses start from £125,000 (€158,717).

Built by Noonan Construction, 30 houses are being released for sale in the first phase of the Woodlands scheme, which is on a site with a view over the Wicklow mountains. The initial plan is for a mixed development of 147 townhouses, bungalows and semi-detached homes. Eventually this number will rise to close on 300. Located just off the motorway and 10 minutes from the main street of Arklow, joint selling agents Hooke & MacDonald and Richard Bentley expect that many of the homes will be bought by Dublin commuters.

While there are three different house styles, the floor area of each house type is 1,100 sq ft. The three-bedroom semi-detached houses are identical in design to the townhouses. Downstairs, the kitchen is to the front of the house while the spacious lounge is to the back. Running the full width of the house, this sittingroom accounts for around half of the ground floor space and is very bright, with a large window and patio doors to the garden. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms: the main bedroom is en suite.

The three-bedroom townhouses are priced from £125,000 (€158,717) while the semi-detached houses cost from £132,000 (€167,605).

In the bungalow, the lounge is to the front of the house and a large picture window has mountain views. There is a spacious kitchen to the rear with a substantial dining area. A back door leads to the garden. It also has two double bedrooms and one single. Detached three-beds are priced from £152,000 (€193,000).