The cost of apartments at Delgany Hills brings upscale homes into the sights of first-time buyers, writes BERNICE HARRISON

A LAUNCH of a new development of apartments is a rare thing these days. Certainly, there are relaunches of apartments that have been hanging around the market for ages or sales of second phases – at greatly reduced prices – but a development of new apartments coming to the market for the first time is unusual.

But then when the foundations of Delgany Hills in Delgany village in Co Wicklow were laid over two years ago, the market was very different as were the expected prices. Now they’ve been halved, with prices from €250,000 to €600,000.

Two-bedroom apartments of 74–77sq m (796–830sq ft) are from €250,000. The 103sq m (1,108sq ft) two-bedroom penthouses are €500,000, while three-bed penthouses of 136sq m (1,464sq ft) cost €600,000.

The price range brings them into the sights of first-time buyers and the internal specifications are way above what buyers at these prices would have expected even two years ago. They include smart, high gloss kitchen units with granite worktops, bathrooms and en suites with contemporary designer fixtures and chrome fittings, sliding oak and glass wardrobes in all bedrooms, and hallways and landings that look more like an upscale hotel than an apartment block.

All have balconies, although the penthouses do better in terms of outdoor space in that they have good-sized wraparound terraces accessed from several rooms. The ceilings in the penthouses are double-height making them appear even larger than they are.

All bedrooms in the apartments are double and there are utility rooms and cloakrooms. In some of the apartments the kitchen is separate from the livingroom – an unusual feature these days – in others it’s off it, so buyers have a choice.

The 45 apartments are in three-storey blocks with only 15 apartments in each building. The design, by bba architecture, is unusual in that the buildings are clad in Portuguese limestone and cedar wood. The landscaping already looks mature.

Delgany Hills is a Tower Homes development, a family company headed up by Tony O’Donoghue and his son Neil, which was also behind several other schemes in Dublin including Rothe Abbey on the South Circular Road, The Fairways, Glasnevin, Brookfield in Terenure and Skerries Rock and Kellys Bay in Skerries. This is the first phase of Delgany Hills and the second phase, which has not yet begun, will also have 45 apartments. There is a detached crèche building as part of the development and it will shortly be offered for sale or lease. Sherry FitzGerald New Homes and Park Auctioneers are joint sales agents.

Delgany Hills, Delgany, Co Wicklow

New scheme of apartments with competitive prices and a good spec

Agents: Sherry FitzGerald New Homes and Park Auctioneers