What you'll find
Georgian and Victorian terraces around the walls and the streets near Magee, red-brick terraces and family estates across the Cityside, larger homes towards Culmore and the Northland area, and on the Waterside a mix of older streets, established estates and newer developments out towards Prehen, Drumahoe and Eglinton.
Who buys here
First-time buyers who can buy a house here for the price of a Belfast flat, families, staff at Altnagelvin Hospital and Ulster University's Magee campus, landlords buying near the university, and people who live in the city and work in Donegal.
Getting about
The railway station on the Waterside has trains to Coleraine and Belfast, City of Derry Airport is at Eglinton, and the border is a few minutes' drive from most of the city.
Mortgage points to note
- Paid in euros. If you work in Donegal or elsewhere in the Republic, many UK lenders will either decline or knock a percentage off your income for currency risk. A smaller group handle cross-border earners as a matter of course. Say so in the enquiry so you're matched to a broker who does.
- Student lets. As Magee grows, so does demand for shared houses nearby. A house shared by three or more people from more than two households needs an HMO licence, and many buy-to-let lenders avoid HMOs. Read the buy-to-let guide.
- A cheaper first step. A large share of the city's homes sit well under the £300,000 first-time buyer threshold, so most first-time buyers pay no stamp duty, and Co-Ownership is widely used.
- Older terraces near the centre. Some period houses have been offices or flats. If you plan to turn one back into a family home, check its planning use and building control history before you offer.
Nearby
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