Ten of the 52 new three and four-bedroom homes under construction at Orwell Park in Templeogue, Dublin 6W, have been sold in advance of Saturday's launch of the scheme. Three-bedroom mid-terrace houses are priced from £245,000 while four-bedroom end-of-terrace units cost £310,000.

Agents Hamilton Osborne King have logged a high level of inquiries about the Templeogue Lodge houses since construction began earlier this year. The homes are being built on part of the grounds of Bishop Galvin national school which adjoins St Jude's Catholic church and a small neighbourhood shopping centre. Many of the inquiries have come from the sons and daughters of families who have lived in the area for many years. Prices will undoubtedly be beyond the reach of some first-time buyers who will have to concentrate their search in more outlying areas on the west and north of the city. The £245,000 price fixed for new three-bed homes could well set a benchmark for similar units on the southside of the city as the autumn selling season moves into full swing.

While the standard of new homes has improved greatly in recent years there is an unmistakable similarity between many of the schemes. Lido Construction and its architects McCrossan O'Rourke have broken new ground with these three-bedroom homes, introducing a practical new layout which gives them a distinctive touch. By putting the stairway in the middle of the house rather than at the side, they have been able to provide a larger than usual hall and an interesting livingroom with a fireplace fitted to take a gas fire. The L-shaped kitchen/dining room runs the full width of the house and is large and bright with a full range of wall and floor Shaker-style units.

Like all houses these days, there is a guest toilet off the hall. All three bedrooms upstairs - two of them are doubles - have fitted wardrobes while the main bedroom has two windows rather than the usual one, and an en suite shower room.

Two of the three-bedroom homes are semis rather than terraced and are priced at £275,000. They are the same size as the terraced units.

Of the 52 houses in the development, 34 are four-bedroom units with 1,310 sq ft which are likely to appeal to families looking for an extra bedroom. End-of-terrace homes are priced from £310,000 while the semis are available from £325,000. All of them have a more traditional layout with a livingroom to the front and double doors opening into a diningroom at the back.

They have a fine kitchen/breakfastroom with lots of light and double doors opening into the rear garden.