Ballinasloe’s exciting, modern, architecturally designed Cuil na Canalach development at Poolboy in Ballinasloe is continuing to experience high levels of buyer interest, and continuing steady levels of sales, despite the general air of doom and gloom surrounding the general economy, and the property market in particular. Cathal O’Malley, director of local development company Comrad Holdings which is developing the project, notes that it is not entirely unprecedented for Ballinasloe to buck the national trend, remembering how the town thrived during the ‘80s while the rest of the country experienced recession. He hopes that the recent successes experienced in the town with the success of the Carlton Shearwater Hotel, the initiation of construction on the new retail park with Tesco as anchor tenant, and the many other successes of the town will herald another prosperous phase in its development.
As a native of Ballinasloe, O’Malley is proud of the town, and delighted when Comrad can support the many local groups such as the Show Society, and the ever successful Ballinasloe Musical Society, as these are the groups which make towns such as Ballinasloe excellent places to live. The schools, hospitals, and amenities of the town provide sources of employment as well as centres for community development, ensuring that people who choose to live in Ballinasloe benefit from a quality of life that encompasses much more than just a house within commuting distance of anywhere.
The ethos of community development is translated into the Canalach development itself, as the layout ensures that the large open areas are the focal point of the development, and such historic features as the Grand Canal bridge are restored and integrated into the development, as is the canal. The bridge now provides pedestrian access to the town centre via the Shearwater Hotel. The houses are designed to ensure that maximum use of natural light gives a bright, spacious feel to all of the houses, and visitors all agree that the bright and open layout combine with the impeccable high standards of finish to make these homes stand out as an excellent home choice.
The earlier phases of the development sold out quickly during 2008, and while O’Malley admits that sales have slowed in the past three months, he is quietly confident that aspiring home-owners will be quick to pick up on the value being offered in the mortgage market at the moment, and will secure their home in the final phase of this development. While some advertising has been carried out over the winter months, O’Malley believes that the existing homeowners are the most effective sales team, with many enquiries emanating from family and friends of existing homeowners. Added to this, Comrad is being quite proactive in attempting to bring potential customers on board. The Comrad price guarantee has been introduced to allay any concerns about dropping house prices (Comrad will refund any price drop to purchasers who purchase during 2009 ), while the Rent to Buy scheme has been made available on a limited basis to those who expect to qualify for a mortgage within 12 months (this scheme acts as a deposit saving scheme ).
Comrad has lined up with AIB to bring mortgage finance to its customers, and its other partnerships with Eircom, Sky, its energy partners Bord Gais, and IJM timber frame, should ensure that low cost finance and minimal running costs will make these homes very good value over the lifetime of their owners. While O’Malley admits that in the current cut-throat property market, the homes at Cuil na Canalach may no longer be the “cheapest houses around”, he is in no doubt whatsoever that Canalach homes continue to represent the best value for money investment, as well as being the best choice of homes to live in in Ballinasloe, and perhaps in the entire west and midlands area.
Cathal O’Malley can be contacted directly on (086 ) 2644517, or via the Comrad website www.comrad.ie
