What you'll find
Terraces and older houses around the town centre, established estates from the 1970s to the 1990s, a lot of new-build developments on the edges of the town, and rural homes and farms around Doagh, Ballynure and Straid.
Who buys here
Young families buying new, first-time buyers who want a house rather than a flat, and people moving out from Newtownabbey and north Belfast for space and schools.
Getting about
There's no railway station in the town, so most people commute by car, joining the M2 for Belfast. Mossley West and Antrim are the nearest stations.
Mortgage points to note
- Buying off-plan. On a new development you may reserve a home months before it's finished. A mortgage offer usually lasts six months, so ask the builder for a realistic completion date and ask your broker which lenders allow extensions.
- Builders' incentives. Paid legal fees, flooring and deposit contributions all help, but lenders cap how much they'll accept before reducing the valuation. Some lenders also limit new-build houses to 90 or 95% of the price.
- Rural houses. Out in the countryside, private water supplies, septic tanks and occupancy conditions on former farm dwellings are common. All can be mortgaged, but the lender list is shorter.
- Co-Ownership. Several local developments have Co-Ownership allocations, which can bring the deposit and the loan down. See how it works.
Nearby
See also Newtownabbey, Antrim and Carrickfergus.
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