THE BRITISH army’s former Shackelton barracks at Ballykelly, Co Derry, is now a prime target for first-time house buyers who will today flood through the security gates in the hope of taking their first step on the property ladder.
Ranging from £30,000 for a two-bedroom semi to £65,000 for a four-bed detached house, 317 houses will go on sale this coming Saturday and Sunday. Already hundreds of potential buyers have set up their own camp outside the development in preparation for viewing which starts this morning.
Young couples, many of them with babies, as well as middle-aged and elderly people looking to downsize, have been sleeping in tents or in cars for the last four days waiting for the gates to open.
Such has been the response to the sale that the site owners, the Merrion Property Group from Dublin, have brought in dozens of portaloos for those camping outside.
The group bought the houses from the British ministry of defence just two months ago. After spending several millions pounds renovating the houses and upgrading the development, the houses, one hundred of which have been set aside for first-time buyers, go on sale this weekend.
The former camp also includes seven retail outlets, a leisure centre, a creche and a supermarket.
Merrion Property Group spokesman Patrick Morwood said: “The value is based on the local market and we have priced the houses to sell. We are aiming at first-time buyers and at people who are trading down. We are also providing a help centre for prospective buyers which includes offices for the selling agent, a mortgage centre and solicitors’ offices.
“Buyers must have a cheque with cleared funds,” Mr Morwood added. “No houses can be pre-booked and our priority is first-time buyers, not property investors.
“The interest in the sale has been phenomenal, so much so that people starting queuing last Friday.”
First in the 300-metre queue is Hannah Potter from Limavady.
“My fiance and I have been trying to get on the property ladder for years without success,” she said. “Our mortgage has been approved and we’re after one of the £30,000 houses. We’ll never get a house as cheap again.”
Another couple, who declined to give their names, have been sleeping since last Saturday in their car outside the camp.
“We sold our house 10 years ago with the hope of upgrading but then it all went wrong for us. Prices started to spiral out of control, the waiting list for a council house was too long and we have been renting,” they said.
“We see this as our opportunity to own a house again. It’s our last chance and we are determined to wait for as long as it takes.”
