Wexford is known for its beautiful coastline and beaches, which now include six blue-flag beaches, two blue-flag marinas, and a further ten green-flag beaches. The blue flag beaches include Ballinesker, Ballymoney North Beach, Carne, Curracloe, Morriscastle, and Rosslare Strand, all of which are well worth visiting if visiting or planning a relocation to Wexford. The two blue-flag marinas are in Kilmore and New Ross, both towns having plenty of amenities for all ages. The other ten beaches that won awards are Baginbun, Ballyhealy, Booley Bay, Cahore Point, Cullenstown Strand, Culleton’s Gap, Grange, Old Bawn Beach, and St. Helen’s Bay, along with Rosslare Harbour. The beaches are spread out from the north of the county down to Kilmore, making all areas great for beach lovers. These are just some of the amazing places that Wexford has to offer. If you are thinking of a relocation or holiday home in Wexford, call into our office, which is on the Quay in Wexford Town. One of the team members would be more than happy to help with any questions.

May can be a great time to get your property on the market. With this being said, the market has begun to cool off, with sales prices in Leinster dropping 0.5% in the first quarter of 2023, as per the Daft Sales Price Report. You can take steps to still get the best price for your property when launching it on the market.

Choose a solicitor and get a BER certificate for the property.

When you decide you would like to sell, you should immediately contact your solicitor or begin looking for one to use. There is a lot of paperwork that must be done throughout the sales process, so the earlier this is started, the better chance you have of a smooth sale. Another point to note is that you are legally required to have a BER certificate for a property that is going for sale, so it is best to get this done as soon as possible. We have BER accessors who we use regularly and would be more than happy to arrange for them to call out.

Choose an agent with local expertise.

It is very important to choose an agent who really knows the area and market. They will be able to give you an accurate valuation of the property, which is crucial as if the price is set too high, you can drive potential buyers away, but if you set it too low, you could be left with a quick sale that didn’t achieve the best price possible. At Kearney & Co., we have a very experienced team who all have extensive knowledge of the local area.

Preparing the property for the market

We have a piece regarding our tips for getting your property ready for the market that can be found here: Tips to Sell Your Home | Kearney Properties (kearneyproperty.ie).

We will call out to the property before it is marketed and suggest any ideas we believe might improve the home for any potential purchaser.

Advertising the property

When advertising your property, it is really important that the photos and description of the home catch the attention of those looking to buy in Wexford. It is important to use the great weather to your advantage and make the property look as bright and welcoming to potential purchasers. Once we have photographed of the property and got the advertisement ready, we will show you a draft to ensure you are happy with it, and once you are, we will launch it on Daft.ie, Myhome.ie and Kearneyproperty.ie.

Kilmore Quay

Located where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Irish Sea, Kilmore Quay is a picturesque working fishing village, known for its thatched-roof cottages, marina, walking trails and the award-winning Shipwreck Cove playground.  You can walk or cycle with bike hire available.  Just 5 kilometres from the shore you’ll find The Saltee Islands which are a protected habitat and home to over 200 species of bird including puffins, gannets and razorbills. You can access the Saltee Ferry which runs day trips from Kilmore Quay harbour.   You will need to bring your own picnic as there are no facilities on the island.

Hook Head Pensinsula

Hook Head is Wexford’s most southern tip and is home to one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world built over 800 years ago from the local limestone. Start off your trip at the historic Tintern Abbey and make your way to the nearby enchanting Georgian Walled Garden built in the 19th century.

Curracloe Beach

Wexford boasts 250km of beautiful coastline with Curracloe Beach being the closest Blue Flag Beach to Wexford Town, miles and miles of sandy beaches for those long walks followed by a paddle in the calm water or if you’re feeling particularly energetic a good swim!  Beach wheelchairs are available too.

Johnston Castle

Visit the Johnstown Castle Estate, Museum & Gardens to explore a fairytale gothic-revival Irish castle and its gorgeous 120-acre estate and formal gardens, also home to the Irish Agricultural Museum.  Just 11 mins from the centre of Wexford, there are Expert Local Guides to take you on a Tour of This Striking, Romantic Neo-Gothic Castle.   You can enjoy Great Coffee, Light Meals, and Delicious Treats in the Cafe on grounds. It is Dog Friendly and there are events held throughout the year.

National Opera House

The National Opera House, formerly the Wexford Opera House, is a world-class venue presenting Irish and international events, opera, music, family events, comedy, theatre and dance.

Wexford County Council have granted planning permission for 222 homes to be built in Crosstown. Dublin company Dronoe LTD will be the ones undertaken this massive project. The development will compromise of 34 four bedroom houses, 126 three bedroom houses,6 three bedroom duplex apartments, 6 two bedroom apartments and 26 one bedroom apartments. The development will also have communal green areas, 436 car parking, 158 bicycle spaces. One of the conditions that the developers must adhere to is there must be a children facility built in the early stages of the development. The developer requested a ten year planning permission but was only granted permission for five years. This means we will see the construction of this begin the near future.

The next development is Trinity Wharf in Wexford Town, this is a massive project that has been in the works for many years. Minister Darragh O’Brien was at the site earlier in the month to officially begin phase 1 of the project. Already there has been over €110 million of public and private development is planned. The first phase includes the roads to the development which required a license from Ianrod Eireann as it will cross the railroad in Wexford. This project will include a hotel, office spaces and apartments in hopes of becoming  the new focal point of business in Wexford.

These are two of the larger developments coming to Wexford in the coming years and shows the County is constantly expanding. This is just another reason why Wexford is a great place to live. If you are thinking of a relocation to Wexford feel free to call the office and one of out team would be happy to help with any queries you might have. We also have an office on the Quay just opposite the bridge if you would like to call in and have a chat.

The Government decided not to extend the eviction ban that has been in place since October 30th, 2022 covering “the winter emergency period” beyond its planned expiry on March 31st, 2023.  The ban was introduced to try and help with a shortage in rental properties and the expected increase in homelessness over the winter period.

This ban meant that the landlord would have to give an extended notice period to the tenant if they decided to terminate the tenancy.

A landlord can now issue a notice of termination if a tenant is not paying their rent on time or if the landlord intends to sell the property within nine months or needs the property for their own use or for an immediate family member. Landlords can issue a notice if the landlord plans to change the use of the property, from residential to office use for example, or if they intend to refurbish the property substantially.

Notice periods for each tenancy can be found in a previous blog post or on the RTB website

If you are a tenant or landlord and need advice please feel free to contact the office.

Home-building activity fell for the fourth month in a row in January as firms contend with a slowing economy.

The Government exceeded its house-building targets last year, but experts have cast doubt on whether it can complete the 29,000 it has pledged in its Housing for All plan this year. The Central Statistics Office data shows 29,851 new dwellings were completed last year, up 45.2pc on 2021. But completions fell slightly (2.8pc) between October and December last year, compared to the previous three months.

In December, there were 1,795 commencement notices registered, down from 2,402 in November and only slightly above December 2021 levels – a time when the economy was in a partial lockdown.

Nama last week cast doubt on its ability to deliver some of its promised new homes because of rising interest rates and infrastructure and planning challenges.

Sarah Collins from the Irish Times wrote a more in depth article on the matter which is available at Construction slowdown for fourth month in a row as ‘subdued market conditions’ blamed for home-building lull – Independent.ie

In the wake of Brexit, Rosslare has become Ireland’s number one port for direct freight and passenger services to the EU.  There are 58 weekly UK services and over 34 services between Rosslare and Bilabo, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Dunkirk and Zeebrugge.

Passenger numbers have made almost a full post-Covid recovery, over 550,000 people used the port last year.

Investments referenced include a Rosslare Europort Masterplan worth in excess of €30million.

The continued growth can only be greeted as a massive positive for the entire region and hopes are high it will continue on its current trajectory in 2023 and beyond.

The government announced earlier this month that people are now entitled to up to €50,000. This money can be used to renovate a vacant property to make it habitable. The grant is available to anyone who plans to turn a vacant house into their permanent home. If you are eligible for the grant you are entitled to €30,000 up front payment and an additional €20,000 is the property is derelict.

There are certain criteria that must be met before you are entitled to the grant.

1. Your home must be vacant for at least two years before you are entitled to it.
2. The home must have been built before 1993.
3. You must 0wn or be in the process of buying the property.
4. You must live at the property once the renovations are complete.
5. You must have tax clearance from Revenue and Local Property Tax must be paid if applicable.

The grant covers a range of work such as, demolition and site clearance, foundations, walls, damp proofing, plumbing, electrical work and all other aspects of the building process. All work must be completed by professionals and invoices will be required.

The Sunny Southeast is officially the Sunniest County in Ireland. Rosslare has been revealed to be the sunniest town in Ireland. According to a recent study by the Irish Independant they found that Rosslare has consistantly more sunshine that any other town in Ireland. The extreme Southeast averages over 7 hours a day in early summer leading to 1600 hours of sunshine annually. The weather is one attraction for people to come to Wexford but there is so much more to make you enjoy your stay.

If you are looking for a more long term stay in Wexford we at Kearney & Co have an array of properties both for sale and rental. Contact the office if you have any queries buying, selling or letting.