According to the latest House Price Index published by the Department of Finance in Northern Ireland this week, between the third quarter of 2017 and the third quarter in 2018, the index has increased by 4.8 per cent, which translates to a 21.7per cent increase since 2015.
"Prices are now reaching what they were in 2005/2006 – having dropped by 50 per cent between 2007 and 2013 – and despite Brexit and political uncertainty lots of people are moving back to Northern Ireland," says estate agent Simon Brien, adding that he has sold eight houses in the North Down area for more than £1.5 million (€1.68 million) apiece in the past three months.
One of those houses, on Clanbrassil Road in Cultra, was the childhood home of actor Jamie Doran which attained £2.1 million. He is now a big star in Hollywood – ironically enough the actor grew up near Holywood, Co Down, considered to be the "gold coast" of Northern Ireland and a prime location for the affluent.
The latest offering here is the quite incredible house at 52 Glen Road in Holywood, overlooking Belfast Lough, and a 15-minute drive from Belfast city.
Designed by RPP architects, the property – completed in 2006 – took the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) award for the best house in Northern Ireland in 2007.
Corporate let
Not dissimilar to many of the contemporary homes that dot the Hollywood hills of California, number 52 stretches to 650sq m (7,000sq ft) over three floors. Built for a family as their weekday residence – due to its proximity to the city – it has been rented out for the past two years as a corporate let accruing £100,000 annually. As the family are now spending all their time in their country estate, they have placed the house on the market with an asking price of £2.75 million (€3.146 million).
Perched on an elevated 0.6 of an acre site, the main rooms face the water – and the views through the large expanses of glass are quite incredible. All the interiors are high-end – the wall of Gaggenau appliances in the utility room alone is testament to the financial outlay on the interiors.
The property has four bedrooms, and the games room on the lower floor could also work as a guest suite, should new owners require it.
Though it doesn’t have direct water access, the beach is a seven-minute walk and Royal Northern Ireland Yacht Club is just a few minutes’ drive, as is Royal Belfast Golf Club. The Golf Club at Holywood – where Rory McIlroy, another Holywood native cut his teeth – is just around the corner.
The exterior of zinc, hardwoods and granite marry very nicely with the exterior plantings around the house. There is also a large pond and an abundance of terraces.
This property is one of the finest homes to come to the market in Northern Ireland in recent times, and, as the photographs depict, is really a taste of Hollywood in Holywood.
