• Appoint your Estate Agent – important skills you will want your agent to demonstrate are local knowledge, strong experience in valuations and sales in the area and a strong after-sales service.
• Appoint your Solicitor – match competitive quote with experience and a professional, ‘can-do-will-do’ attitude.
• Get your BER Cert – this costs between €150 – €200 for a standard house.
• Compliance Cert – if you have an extension, you will probably need a compliance cert.
• Notify your bank / building society if you have a mortgage on the property. Your solicitor can also do this on your behalf.
• Local property tax – make sure it’s up to date.
• Make a list of what contents and appliances are included in the sale. Remember that integrated appliances, blinds, carpets, poles and garden sheds are normally included.
• Get ready for viewings. The better your house looks, the better the viewings will go! So get the bin bags out and start to 

NEW GROUP OF TRADERS AND RESIDENTS SET UP TO PUSH FOR REGENERATION OF BRIDGE STREET AND SURROUNDING AREAS

A new group made up of traders and residents has been established to push for the regeneration of Bridge Street and surrounding areas.

The move comes after it was revealed last month that the St Nicholas Quarter, an area taking in Bridge Street, Church Street, Patrick Street, Linenhall Street, the Fair Green and the Castletown Road, would not be included in the planned €4.4 million upgrade of Clanbrassil Street due to proceed next year.

While the works, which were given the go ahead after an EU grant was secured in January 2016, were originally due to include these additional areas, it will now stop at St Nicholas Church due to budgetary constraints.

The newly established Bridge Street Community Traders and Residents’ Regeneration Association recently met with Louth Council Council and their consultants to preview the plans for the investment.

They explained: “The Council secured funding to improve the town from the Square to the Bridge, but they’ve since decided to cut Bridge Street out of the plan for budget reasons.”

They feel that this area of the town has been repeatedly ignored and have called for action to be taken to rejuvenate it.

They said: “Historically, Bridge Street has been repeatedly excluded from improvement works and investment and now suffers from almost 40% vacant rates, much of which is due to properties having fallen into significant disrepair and dereliction. However, there remains a strong community of independent Traders and Residents who want their environment regenerated and treated as part of the town centre.

“Bridge Street has the potential to be a thriving community of traders and residents again and also play an important role in the communities along the Castletown Road, the Newry Road and Legion Avenue. Bridge Street is their high street, and they deserve to have it back! We have been overlooked for far too long, and now want action to be taken urgently, before the street gets any worse.”

The group, having recently met with Council CEO Joan Martin, Director of Services Frank Pentony and Chief Engineer Pat Finn are now calling on Louth County Council to make a firm commitment to address the urgent need to regenerate the area, for the benefit of this key segment of Dundalk’s high street.

Specific actions which the group is calling on include:

• Include Bridge Street in their plans to improve the high street in 2018 – 2019
• Create a masterplan on Bridge Street’s regeneration as part of the town centre improvement plans
• Include Bridge Street in the Clanbrassil Street / Church Street Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) to enable owners to access funding through the Structures at Risk 2018 fund

A Facebook Group has been set up, and people are invited to register their support for this Regeneration Campaign. You can join the group here.

Traders call for regeneration of Bridge St in Dundalk

Tia Clarke

A new group of traders and residents of Bridge St and the surrounding areas have called on local council leaders to encourage the regeneration of the busy street.

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Geese squads have been spotted in the Dundalk area as home owners find new ways to protect their homes and ruffle the features of house burglars. Local estate agents Michael Lavelles, who have seen the squad in action recently, commented that anything that gets a burglar in a flap has to be a good thing”

One security conscious home owner explained: “Geese have amazing hearing and eyesight. Not only do they see better at a distance than humans do, they can also see things up close better.

Human eyes have three different colour sensors that combine to build the picture in our brain. Birds add a fourth—ultraviolet, so things look sharper to them. And they can really pick out movement.”

He continued: “Geese are also pretty rowdy and scrappy – they make some racket if they’re not happy. Put two or more geese together and you have a serious argy-bargy on your hands.”   

Dundalk isn’t the first place to stick their necks out to such lengths. In China…police are reported to be recruiting geese instead of traditional guard dogs toprovide night security, after a flock of geese fouled up a robbery on a policestation.

Local Gardai are believed to be very pleased with the measure, commenting that burglars can expect to fall foul of an eager geese squad on their trail.

One local burglar who wished to remain nameless, commented: “Them lads have some neck…”

New rules on rented accommodation have come into effect in an effort to address the lack of supply and rising cost of rent. Whether you’re a tenant or a landlord, you need to know the new rules:

Rent reviews can only be carried out every 2 years rather than yearly, and the notice period for activating the revised rent is increased to 90 days instead of 28 days.

Notice periods for termination of tenancies have increased – especially for landlords – if the tenant has lived in the property for over 4 years.

A deposit protection scheme is planned

The new rules have already benefitted existing tenancies – but only for the short term. On the downside, longer notice periods aren’t always of benefit to tenants who might quickly find alternative accommodation. The answer: From day 1, a good relationship between tenant and landlord pays mutual benefit in the end! Michael Lavelle Estate Agents provide residential lettings and management, as well as a Mediation service for property-related disputes.

Irish Farmer’s Journal’s 2015 Land Report provided interesting reading recently. Here are the main points:

• Almost 75,000 acres  were brought to market in 2015, with average price achieved of almost €9,000 / acre
• Kildare recorded the highest average price per acre at €13,886. The lowest county average was Leitrim at just under €5,000.
• In Louth, price / acre made just over €10,000. Of the land sold, 1/3 went under the hammer. Michael Lavelle Estate Agents achieved over €12,000 / acre on lands sold in Dundalk and in Louth village.

Michael Lavelle, one of Dundalk’s best known business figures, has been named as a Fellow of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers (IPAV).

The honour is given to members who continually contribute to the promotion of the industry, demonstrate best practice in their work, and support the Institute and other property professionals in Ireland.

Michael is the only IPAV member in County Louth to have received the status of Fellow.

Presenting the award to Michael, IPAV CEO Pat Davitt, praised Michael’s commitment to his work, saying that Michael has always been ready to help others and he always does his work with good humour.

Joanne Lavelle commented: “We’ve been helping people with their sales, lettings and valuations for the past three generations, and Michael always has a brilliant attitude to his work.

“It’s very fitting that he be rewarded for the commitment he makes to his Clients and his work.”

The event at Ballymascanlon House Hotel was attended by Clients, Family, Friends and some of Dundalk’s best known Professionals.

Michael Lavelle Estate Agents is an independent family business.  It has served Clients’ property requirements in the north east for 40 years, and remains the most popular independent agent in Dundalk.

The Agency offers a thorough and very experienced service of residential and commercial sales and lettings, as well as a full Valuations service.