With the house building industry gradually coming back to life, estate agents are reporting a sharp pick-up in inquiries for infill sites in good Dublin locations.
The renewed competition among small developers and investors has meant a large proportion of the sites are being sold at auction.
Savills has fixed May 21st for an auction of infill sites in Malahide and Loughlinstown which are attracting considerable attention.
John Swarbrigg of the agency is quoting a guide price of €950,000 for the site of the former Grove Hotel on the northern end of Grove Road, opposite the junction with Bath Avenue and about 400m from the centre of Malahide village. The site extends to 0.19 of a hectare (0.48 of an acre) and is ideal for a high-end residential development.
A second site, extending to 0.09 of a hectare (0.23 of an acre) at Park na Silla Avenue in Loughlinstown, has a guide price of €400,000 in advance of a second auction on May 15th. Planning permission was recently granted for the development of four four-bedroomed semi-detached houses, each with a floor area of 131sq m (1,410sq ft).
Savills is also planning to auction on May 7th three partially completed houses at Greenwich Court, Rathmines, Dublin 6. The initial guide price was €850,000.