€5m of house sales at all-day auction

More than €5 million in property sales were recorded at Friday’s all-day O’Donnellan & Joyce auction.

And one of the happiest purchasers of the day was a couple who had been living in a mobile home for the past three years, hoping to buy their dream home in Monivea.

In Galway City, there was strong interest reported in properties with central locations, while investors chased homes close to NUI Galway.

Auctioneer Colm O’Donnellan said: “In Galway City, there were some tremendous results, particularly for properties very centrally located, such as close to NUI Galway. One at Mill Street, a four-bed semi, sold for €404,000.

“Investors were out in force. Anything close to NUIG got huge interest.

“The star performer of the day was a house in Loughrea with great style and character which had tremendous bidding and sold for in excess of €400,000, nearly €200,000 more than anticipated,” said Mr O’Donnellan.

Holiday homes in some of the West of Ireland’s most scenic destinations also attracted very competitive bidding.

There was a bidding war between four people for the lovely Beach Cottage, a four-bed bungalow in Ballyconneely, and the gavel fell at €328,000.

There was “fiercely competitive bidding” amongst investors for properties in the Newcastle area. A five-bed detached house at 10a Newcastle Road sold for €270,000.

Close by at 20 Inchagoill Road, another five-bed detached sold for €375,000.

“Both properties are ideal as family homes, and for investors they present virtually instant rental income such is the demand for rental properties in this area of Galway City,” said Mr O’Donnellan.