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Waterford house prices among highest to increase last year

Waterford house prices among highest to increase last year
A man passes an estate agent's window, © PA Archive/PA Images

House prices rose at a much slower pace last year, despite a continued shortage of homes for sale.

The latest report from property website Daft.ie shows house prices increased by 3.4% in 2023.

In the South East, there were varying degrees of increases.

Waterford saw the highest increase at 9.4% while Wexford had the lowest at 0.3%.

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Tipperary also had quite a jump in prices at 8.6%. It's followed by Waterford City at 6.1%, Kilkenny at 3.2%, and Carlow at 2.1%.

The average house price nationally in the closing months of last year was just over €320,000, 14% lower than at the peak of the Celtic Tiger.

Despite a relatively high increase in prices, homes in Waterford City were the lowest in the South East.

The average asking price was €239, 709.

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Tipperary also had a high increase in prices but was among the lower asking prices with homes there at an average of €242,002.

Waterford County had the highest asking prices, with an average of €318,550.

Kilkenny was next highest with an average price of €295, 585. It's followed by Wexford at €279,518 and Carlow at €256,436.

Just 11,000 houses were listed for sale on Daft.ie on December 1st, 27% fewer than on the same date a year earlier.

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"Housing prices are stabilising not because supply has increased to meet demand, but instead because demand has fallen to meet it," said Prof Ronan Lyons, the author of the report.

"Supply of newly built homes for purchase has certainly increased but the second-hand market, which is the larger share of the market, has been working in the other direction, buffeted by changed economic conditions," he added.

Pat Davitt, chief executive of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers, said the same trends will continue into 2024.

He told Newstalk radio: "[Potential buyers] are not able to get enough money to get a mortgage despite the fact that they're able to show that they're paying a lot more rent than what a mortgage would cost, but they're still not able to borrow that extra money to be able to buy a property. And it's very unfortunate."

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