Buying a house is a process defined by decision-making and location is, potentially, the most important of all those decisions.
House location can impact many different aspects of your life long after a purchase has been confirmed and moving day has come and gone. The wrong decision can impact the choice of schools for your kids, commute times to and from work, future house valuations and so much more.
Thankfully, the right choice can flip all of the above and make it one of the best decisions you ever make.
With all of that in mind we thought we’d collect together some of the key reasons we believe buying a house in Antrim (the town and surrounding area) can be a great decision both financially and for family, work-life balance and everything else important to us.
Amenities in Antrim
In addition to a range of quality eateries, bars and hotels in Antrim town and the immediate area, the town also enjoys great golf, leisure centre, cinema complex and shopping as well as a range of reputable schools, playparks and places of worship.. The area also offers the opportunity for pleasant walks with the likes of Lough Shore, Antrim Castle Gardens and Clotworthy House all nearby.
It’s also worth noting that the local council regularly put on family events which is a great boost to the community feel of the area.
Distance to Belfast
One of the biggest pros for buying a house in Antrim is the short distance to Northern Ireland’s capital city Belfast.
Amongst other highlights, including the nightlife, culture and regularly hosting massive live events, Belfast consistently pulls in investment for new jobs, roles and companies and as a result remains our biggest geographical area of employment.
Living nearby makes sense in terms of job prospects and career opportunities and the M2 links, as well as public transport options, mean you can easily be in Belfast city centre within 20-30 minutes without the hassles that come with living directly in the city.
Motorway Links
Continuing that theme of accessibility, Antrim represents one of the best-located towns when it comes to accessing Northern Ireland’s motorway and dual carriageway links.
Not only is there a major hospital located within the Antrim town area but you can also easily access the A26 dual carriageway to travel to Ballymena, Coleraine and the coast, the A6 to Mid Ulster, the A57/A8 towards Larne and the M2 and M1 for Belfast, Dublin and beyond.
Northern Ireland is still a country dominated by back roads and windy country bends but living in Antrim means much easier access to our main roads than most, in other areas, have.
Gateway to the Glens and Causeway Coast
Our first two reasons for considering Antrim are incredibly practical but, if we take a step back, the close proximity to the Glens of Antrim and the Causeway Coast should also be considered.
Depending on where you want to go, be it Glenariff Forest Park, Ballygally, Cushendall, Portrush or somewhere else, you can be there within 20-40 minutes which is incredible considering these are officially designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Perfect for weekends, mid-terms and future summer holidays!
Price Comparison
Price and budget will obviously play a huge roll in any house buying process. Your budget can and will determine many factors including the size of your new home, type of building and location.
As of August 2017, according to Zoopla, the average house price in Belfast is approximately £157,648, whereas the average house price in Antrim is approximately £123,237, which equates to a c.22% saving to potential buyers.
That’s quite a significant difference for an extra commute of roughly no more than 20 minutes.
It should also be noted that as the area mixes rural, urban and sub-urban in a relatively small space, it offers the great variety and choice in terms of what type of home you’d like to buy and live in.
The area currently offers a great range of both new and re-sale properties to suit all budgets and requirements.
Houses in Antrim
If you’ve been sitting on the fence, and any of the above reasons have helped ease your worries, or you’re just curious about houses in Antrim feel free to get in touch by clicking here.
You can also view our sales, new builds and land for sale by clicking on each!
Happy hunting!
