It’s funny for those who have grown up in Co Kildare to see new housing developments describing the county as a wonderful alternative to Dublin. For many a first-time buyer, especially for those native to the county, its mix of wide-open green spaces and vibrant towns makes Kildare a first-choice location to set down roots. And, as younger buyers looking for a home in Dublin broaden their search to neighbouring counties, this has led to high demand in the short-grass county.
The owners of 21 Carton Wood in Maynooth and the owners of 15 The Bailey in Naas both belong to the latter category: the search for their respective first homes led them to seek out the slightly better value of the Kildare market, compared with Dublin.
Now returning to the market, their three-bedroom homes offer the modern fitout and energy efficiency of a new build. Both are situated within vibrant towns that have plenty to recommend them in their own right, as well as being within commuting distance of the capital. Maynooth and Naas have well-developed communities with thriving sport clubs, tidy towns groups as well as primary and secondary schools.
The owners of 21 Carton Wood settled in the charming university town of Maynooth in the north of the county as they found it to be a commutable distance between each of their workplaces in Dublin and Edenderry. Having known little of the town beforehand, they liked the atmosphere and have since spent their time enjoying the local cafes and restaurants as well as walks on the grounds of the Carton House Estate and along the Grand Canal greenway.
From enchanted forests to winter wonderlands: 12 Christmas experiences to try around Ireland
Hidden by One Society restaurant review: Delightful Dublin neighbourhood spot with tasty food and keen prices
Gladiator II review: Don’t blame Paul Mescal but there’s no good reason for this jumbled sequel to exist
Paul Howard: I said I’d never love another dog as much as I loved Humphrey. I was wrong
They have settled so well in the town, in fact, they hope to move as close by as possible to a bigger home as they look toward growing their family. They say the train into Dublin is extremely handy, getting you into the city in 40 minutes, as well as the C3 and C4 Dublin bus routes.
Built in 2017, the owners of number 21 were the first to drive through the gates of Carton Wood. Laid out in the familiar style of new Irish three-beds, this A-rated end-of-terrace property, extending to 99.4sq m (1,070sq ft), consists of a livingroom, an open-plan kitchen-diner, a guest toilet and a utility room on the ground floor with two double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a family bathroom upstairs. The home is in turnkey condition with two parking spaces to the front and a back garden with a patio area and lawn to the rear.
The owners have added a Hive heating system, allowing you to control the heating remotely from your phone. Number 21 Carton Wood is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald Brady O’Flaherty, seeking €415,000.
Travelling further south in the county sees a slightly reduced asking price and a few square metres of space added to a similar property; 15 The Bailey, Castlefarm, Naas, a semi-detached house measuring 112sq m (1,206sq ft), is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald O’Reilly, seeking €399,000.
The owners of this property are from Dublin and Wicklow respectively and decided to purchase this property after spending just a day exploring the town; they have since established a great network of friends in the town, they say, but have always planned to relocate closer to family. “A nice place to shop,” as the town’s welcome sign professes, it is also not far from Newbridge and Kildare town for even more great shopping.
Built in 2020 and A-rated, there is nothing a new owner would have to upgrade before moving in, with the grey-tone wooden floors and trendy colour palette on the walls likely to appeal to most tastes.
The hub of this home is the kitchen-diner which also has a living area with a bespoke wooden entertainment built into one wall. There is also good-sized livingroom to the front of the home and a utility room. There are two double bedrooms upstairs, the main bedroom is en suite, as well as a family bathroom and a single bedroom, currently decorated as a nursery.
These properties are likely to appeal to a buyer looking to relocate to Kildare or to those who may have missed out on similar schemes in the area when they first went on the market. The price point may offer some bit of relief to those used to the eye-watering asking prices of similar homes in Dublin.
