As a homebuilder of choice with an exceptional track record for delivering energy-efficient residential properties on strategically-located sites across Northern Ireland for three-and-a-half decades, D Gilmore Developments is firmly established as an industry-leading private housing developer and builder. Founder David Gilmore took time out from his busy schedule to provide Building Ireland with an update on current and upcoming developments.
It’s all go at Lurgan, County Armagh headquartered D Gilmore Developments – a standard-setting family-run business synonymous with invariably building the highest quality residential homes. Since its inception in 1989, this renowned contractor and developer’s name has been associated with some of Northern Ireland’s most sought-after private housing developments.
And the wheel keeps turning, with a couple of large multi-unit schemes in the process of finishing up at the time of writing and two more new developments about to get up and running. “We’re just after handing over the last of 80 houses at the development in Dollingstown, where we were on site for two and a half years,” revealed director David Gilmore, when we touched base with him recently.
“We’re also finishing up in Dungannon – an 83-unit development, which has been ongoing for five years. There are just six houses left to be finished there.”
In keeping with D Gilmore Developments’ reputation for outstanding workmanship when it comes to developing and building wonderful, sustainable modern homes and communities, both these developments have been in high demand and the personable County Armagh based contractor is seamlessly moving on to two more magnificent developments, namely Silverwood Avenue in Lurgan and Old Kilmore Road in Moira.
“We’re not going to be starting in Moira until the Spring of 2024,” David continues. “Once we’ve got planning permission, Old Kilmore will consist of 36 units in total, a mixture of four-bedroom bungalows, four-bedroom detached and three-bedroom semis.” No stone will be left unturned in ensuring the professional delivery of sustainable homes which perfectly capture the essence of modern family living.
Meanwhile, Silverwood Avenue in Lurgan – a luxurious housing development comprising 66 dwellings, with a mixture of four-bedroom detached and three-bedroom semi-detached units and incorporating a significant amount of landscaping features to preserve and further enhance the natural setting surrounding it – is already on the market and works have commenced on site.
The 66 units will be made up of 24 detached and 42 semi-detached homes, while the builder-developer is also taking responsibility for internal roads, associated parking, landscaping, public open space, drainage and ancillary works. There will be 19 four-bedroom detached dwellings with sunrooms, five three-bed dwellings with sun rooms and 42 three-bed semi-detached dwellings. Each of the 66 properties will have a single domestic garage, while 6,514 trees will be planted at the site in addition to 4,634 shrubs.
The extensive ancillary works at Silverwood Avenue, which will help produce a stunning development within a tranquil and natural setting, include the retention of existing trees, hedgerows and streams on site, and the creation of a new and extensive network of cycle paths to connect to those which already exist in the Lurgan area, while planted buffers will protect the visual amenity of units bordering the access from Silverwood Road.
In these difficult times when the need for housing has never been more pressing, D Gilmore Developments continues to play an immeasurable role in delivering much-needed and high-quality residential properties to homeowners in Northern Ireland, although the challenges currently facing builder-developers are significant, as David attests:
“You have to keep going and continue moving forward; you can’t let the grass grow under your feet. Having said that, margins are getting very tight these days. The cost of lands seems to be getting higher all of the time, while the price of houses isn’t rising accordingly, so that makes it difficult for a developer.”
Thanks to some invaluable foresight, David is in the fortunate position of having already purchased a few parcels of land in advance. By thinking ahead, he has made D Gilmore Developments a more viable proposition going forward than it might otherwise have been…
“I definitely wouldn’t like to be buying land at today’s prices,” he continues. “I’ve acquired a bit of land for a few more sites and that should keep us ticking over. We have a good bit of work in front of us now on the two new sites in Lurgan and Moira and a few more options coming down the line after that. In this line of work, you always have to be looking at your options and thinking ahead.”
A substantial upfront investment of time, money and expertise is needed; by insisting upon only the highest quality workmanship, materials and management, D Gilmore Developments has delivered an unrivalled portfolio of homes across the province and, with a wealth of experience and an uncanny attention to detail, continues to reach the same exacting standards on every new house built.
Between direct and subcontracted staff, employment is generated for up to 50 people. David is joined in the day-to-day running of this stellar family business by son Richard and daughter Lynn.
Moving forward, it’s very much a case of ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it’ and the plan for D Gilmore Developments is to continue to provide excellent homes on well-appointed and beautifully-finished sites. “Quality homes on quality sites – that’s what we have always tried to do,” David concludes. “As I said earlier, I wouldn’t like to be buying land at today’s prices, but we have some good sites ahead of us and that will keep us ticking over nicely.”
D Gilmore Developments,
28 Dromore Road,
Lurgan,
County Armagh.
Tel: +44 785 0306 638
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, March 2024, Vol 10 No 3
