Buying in Cookstown

What you'll find

Town houses and terraces along and behind the main street, established estates, a steady flow of newer developments around the edges, and rural houses, farms and sites out towards the Sperrins, Lough Fea and the Lough Neagh shore.

Who buys here

Young families and first-time buyers, people working in manufacturing and engineering, self-employed tradespeople, and people building on family land.

Getting about

There's no railway. The A29 links Cookstown with Dungannon and the M1 to the south and Magherafelt to the north.

Mortgage points to note

• Self-employed income. Sole traders, partners and limited company directors are all assessed differently. Getting your accountant's figures in the right shape before you apply makes a real difference. Read the self-employed guide.
• Self-builds. Stage-payment mortgages are common here. Make sure the lender's stages suit how your builder works, and keep a contingency for cost overruns.
• Rural houses. Expect septic tanks and the occasional private water supply outside the town. Fine for many lenders, but not all.
• First purchases. Prices here make it realistic to buy a house rather than a flat on one or two modest incomes.

Nearby

See also Magherafelt, Dungannon and Omagh.