The price of the average second-hand three-bed semi in County Wexford has risen by 3.5% to €235,500 in the last three months, according to a national survey by Real Estate Alliance.

And the survey has shown that 27% of sales in the county are to first-time buyers, with 22% of all purchasers coming from outside the area.

Across the county, the average time taken to sell is three weeks, the Q1 REA Average House Price Index has shown.

In Wexford town, prices rose to €215,000, an increase of 2.4%. 25% of the purchasers were first-time buyers, and 29% of buyers came from outside of the county.

Prices in Gorey rose by €5,000 to €250,000, an increase of 2%, with 30% of sales to first-time buyers and 15% of buyers from outside the county.

“The property market throughout County Wexford has started strongly in 2022, and prices are increasing at a steady and consistent rate,” said Winston Halnon of REA Halnon McKenna.

“Supply is a major factor for all sectors of the market, from second-hand property right through to rental stock.

“Landlords are selling up as prices have increased and more rules are being brought in regarding tenancies.

“This is a major concern for all as the lack of rental stock is alarming.

“There are more new developments in the pipeline, however they are taking a long time to get going due to the delays in the planning process.

“We expect 2022 will continue as it has begun, with short supply of all property types – both sales and rental.”

The REA Average House Price Survey concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland's typical stock home, the three-bed semi, giving an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide.

Nationally, house prices are increasing at an average of almost €100 a day as the market shows no signs of slowing up in the early months of 2022, the survey has found.

Average house prices rose by 3.16% nationally in the first three months of year, matching the 1% a month increases experienced during the Celtic Tiger days.

And illustrating the two-tier nature of the market, 59% of all purchasers were first-time buyers, that figure rising to 76% in Dublin as people with mortgage approval scramble to get on the housing ladder.

The price of a three-bedroomed semi-detached house across the country rose by almost €9,000 over the past three months to €278,500 – representing an annual increase of over 14%.

The average three bed in Dublin is fast approaching the €500,000 mark, with actual selling prices rising by 2.2% since the new year, to an average of €481,250.

Commuter counties saw prices increase 4.47% – a jump of €13,000 to €305,000 – and double the rate of increase seen in the capital.

In the rest of the country, where prices rose 3.4% to €196,569, the survey found that one in every three buyers were from outside the county as new working conditions enable a rethink on home bases.