Buying a home whether it be a first time buyer or those looking to upgrade or downsize can be a stressful affair as choosing the right home is one of the biggest decisions that any of us will ever make.
Generally when seeking a home, housing estates are the preferred choice for many as they are usually located in urban areas near all local amenities. The one drawback felt by many when purchasing in a housing estate is that every home is the same with maybe a three or four bedroom dwelling the only choice on offer.
Variety is the spice of life as they say and we all like to be a little different and especially when it comes to our homes so that is why the Cloch Chora development in Corofin, Co Galway is proving to be so popular as it is one of the few housing estates in the country that offer a wide range of four and five bedroom homes all designed differently.
Yes, that is a fact, no two homes are the same, so when purchasing the home owner is not only moving into a state of the art premises, but one that is unique to the rest in the area.
The building contractor developing these homes are City East Construction and managing director Stephen Greaney told Building Ireland all about the project.
“It is a 30-house development with 15 already built and sold. The next 15 will be completed over the next 14-18 months. There is a range of four and five bedroom, which are all detached and have their own design, meaning no two houses are designed the same,” said Stephen.
All homes are either A3 or A2 Ber Ratings. Ber Ratings or a Building Energy Ratings is similar to the energy rating of your household appliances with a rating scheme ranging from A to G. ‘A’ Ber ratings are the most energy efficient houses, these houses are highly insulated with very low carbon emissions.
The benefits of the Ber ratings are to make the energy usage of a house transparent to prospective buyers or leasers,as well to make the homeowner more conscious of the energy needed to heat and run the home for the future.
“The homes are all being developed to the highest spec. We have many years’s experience in the construction industry and I myself have a degree in construction management.
“Our goal is to deliver all projects to the highest quality, in a safe, cost effective and timely manner. We aim to form lasting relationships with clients by delivering excellence in a friendly, engaging and professional manner and see this as a key measure of the success of our business.”
City East Construction use a team of trusted and dedicated sub contractors that know what the main contractor expects of them.
“Relationships and teamwork have been vital to building our past success and will be key to our future. Our team have a diverse range of skills and are committed to working closely with our Clients, professional teams and supply chains to develop pragmatic, innovative and cost effective solutions to achieve maximum value on each and every project.
“All the sub contractors that we use have a good work relationship with us for many years and all are very experienced at what they do. They all play a part in the success of this development.”
The Architects, Civil and Structural Engineers and Assigned Certifier on the project was Shane Hanniffy, Chartered Engineer of S. Hanniffy & Associates Consulting Engineers, Maree, Oranmore, Co. Galway who specialise in Architectural Design, Structural and Civil Engineering, Planning Applications, PSDP and Assigned Certifier roles.
Stephen admits that there has been a noticeable upturn construction work being carried out, not only in Dublin, but around the country also.
“There is a lot more work ongoing compared to about 18 months ago. In Galway alone, there are many sites on the go. We are totally focused on our current project at Cloch Chora in Corofin. The new motorway has made a massive difference in travelling time from the city out to Corofin. It bypasses Claregalway, which had been a massive bottle neck for years. Corofin is just four miles from the motorway and since it opened, it has been a great selling point for us.
“In fact, we have pre-sold a few of the houses that are currently under construction. The prices range from €280,000 for a four-bedroom home to €320,000 for a five-bed house.”
Stephen added that even though the focus is on Cloch Chora, they are always looking to the future and further developments.
“It is essential to plan ahead and we have a few projects in the early stages yet, all of which are subject to planning, but hopefully we will get the go ahead in the near future.”
The company MD is confident that despite their being a major increase in the workload within the construction industry, he doesn’t envisage a return to the Celtic Tiger days.
“No, I don’t think that will happen and hopefully it won’t either. It is very busy at the moment, but it won’t go as crazy as it was in the past. The banks are releasing money a bit more freely which has helped, while the Government’s Help to Buy scheme has certainly proven to be popular and we have a number of people that have bought homes here using that scheme.”
One area of concern that Stephen feels needs addressing is the shortage of skilled workers in the country at present.
“This is certainly a situation that needs to be addressed. A lot of guys left the country when the recession hit and they haven’t returned, meaning there is a shortage of skilled workers. There are not many new tradesmen coming through as young people weren’t prepared to forge a career in the construction industry during the recession and who could blame them.”
Contact Details:
City East Construction
Claregalway,
Co Galway
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, January 2018, Vol 4 No 1
