House prices jump 3.4% in Louth as three-bed hits €307k

The price of the average second-hand three-bed semi in County Louth has increased to €307,500, up 3.4pc from €297,500 in the last three months, according to a national survey by Real Estate Alliance.

Across the county, the average time taken to sell is three weeks, the Q2 REA Average House Price Index shows.

The average price in Dundalk this quarter rose 3.5pc to €295,000, with time taken to sell currently three weeks.

“The local market is strong and we are seeing high levels of buyer demand,” said Michael Gunne of REA Gunne Property, Dundalk.

“Limited housing stock is contributing to quick sales that are going above the asking price.”

In Drogheda, average prices this quarter rose 3.3pc to €320,000, with time to sell currently three weeks.

“The market is exceptionally busy when it comes to the purchase of new homes, as second-hand property is scarce in the county,” said Darina Collins of REA O’Brien Collins, Drogheda.

The survey shows that across the county, 75pc of purchasers were first-time buyers, while a total of 10pc of sales in the county this quarter were attributed to landlords leaving the market.

Additionally, agents across the county reported that the BER ratings of properties saw A-rated properties command 25pc price increases in comparison to comparable C-rated properties.

The REA Average House Price Index concentrates on the sale price of Ireland's typical stock home, the three-bed semi, giving an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide.

The actual selling price of a three-bed, semi-detached house across the country rose by 2.7pc in the past three months to €347,912, and 10.3pc overall annually.

In addition, the latest house price report released by Daft.ie has shown that in Louth, prices in the second quarter of 2025 were 15% higher than a year previously, compared to a rise of 4% seen in the 12 months to March 2024. The average price of a home is now €322,000, 52% above the level seen at the start of the covid19 pandemic.

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Commenting on the report, its author Ronan Lyons, economist at TCD said: “The fastest increase in housing prices since mortgage market rules were introduced a decade ago highlights the importance of addressing Ireland’s chronic and worsening housing shortage. The substantial increases over the past year in almost all parts of the country are linked to the lack of second-hand supply. This in turn is related to the increase in interest rates earlier in the decade.

“As interest rates come down and mortgage-holders come off their fixed rate terms, the picture for second-hand supply will improve. There are already some tentative signs in Dublin of an increase in second-hand supply. Nonetheless, the second-hand market is only part of the solution. Ultimately, policymakers have to address their failure to recognise and provide the framework for enough new homes each year.”