With new four-bedroom family homes now scarce and expensive in the Dublin suburbs, buyers are likely to look further afield, where there is frequently much better value available.

Today, a mixed development which includes large four-bed semis and detached homes goes on sale on the outskirts of Drogheda at prices ranging from £137,950 to £183,000. Brendan Byrne of the Ross McParland agency is handling sales.

The scheme is called Riverbank, for the simple reason that it overlooks the River Boyne as it rushes on through Drogheda towards the sea at Laytown. The houses are being built in a lovely valley setting that is likely to prove a strong selling point.

A short walk away towards Slane, the site of the Battle of the Boyne has been acquired by the Government and will eventually have an appropriate public facility. Even closer, a major bridge is being built over the river to carry the new motorway between Dublin and Belfast.

This is another reason why Riverbank and other new housing developments are attracting so much interest from Dublin commuters who have already seen their journey cut since the opening of the Balbriggan by-pass. Drogheda's rail link with Dublin also attracts a huge number of daily commuters.

Selling prices for new homes in the Riverbank scheme will probably set a new benchmark in Drogheda because the developer, Menolly Homes, usually pitches its prices lower than in competing schemes. The company's philosophy of going for high volume sales at lower margins than others has allowed it to become the largest housebuilder in the country. Menolly's arrival in Drogheda will inevitably force other builders to take another look at their prices.

Riverbank will eventually have a mixture of 233 three and four-bedroom homes and two-bed apartments but the first phase now going for sale will be restricted to four-bedroom semis and detached units. From the outside, the houses are a good mix of designs, each distinct from the other to create an overall development of variety and interest.

There will be 30 four-bedroom semis on offer at this stage, all of them with 1,300 sq ft and costing from £137,950 to £139,950 - at least £30,000 below the Dublin selling price. They have an interlinking livingroom and diningroom, which are ideal for entertaining and sliding doors from the diningroom out into a private rear garden.

The kitchen is well finished and large enough to double as a breakfastroom. There is a utility room off the kitchen and a guest lavatory under the stairs.

Upstairs, three of the bedrooms are doubles and the single room comes with a built-in desk and bookcases.

There are two types of four-bed detached homes, one larger and more expensive than the other. The largest, double-fronted, houses are huge by any standards, with no less than 1,700 sq ft. They will cost between £172,950 and £182,950, depending on the size of the garden. The attention to detail is impressive. A great deal of the space on the ground floor is given over to the livingroom and the diningroom which have double interlinking doors, a broad bay window at the front and sliding doors at the opposite end into the rear garden. There is a terrific kitchen with a range of attractive wall and floor units, a wood-panelled ceiling running along the end of the room and plenty of space for dining. The facilities also include a utility room and larger than usual guest lavatory.

The most used room apart from the kitchen is likely to be the study at the front, which comes with a large bay window.

Bedroom space is also on the generous side with three doubles and a single. There has been no skimping on wardrobes and like the other house types, the main bedroom has an en suite shower.

The smaller four-bedroom detached home has 1,450 sq ft and costs from £158,950. Houses with river views will cost an additional £3,000.

A particular bonus in this house type is a family room off the hall, which should come in handy particularly for families with children.