Nearly three quarters of those looking for new homes in south Dublin are aged between 20 and 44, according to new buyer research conducted by Sherry FitzGerald .

In a survey of its registered buyer database, up to 44 per cent are first-time buyers and 46 per cent are trading up. The fact that 78 per cent are seeking a three-bed semi or bigger would account for the upward pressure on prices in pockets of south Dublin. Over half of house vendors (51 per cent) with Sherry FitzGerald in 2012 had either investment properties or executor sales. Despite a lot of talk of families downsizing, these only account for about 9 per cent of sellers. Bank repossessions accounted for 9 per cent, while 10 per cent said they wanted a larger house. The survey of up to 2,000 registered buyers asked: What do buyers really want? In a new homes development, nearly 80 per cent of the 340 respondents said a high BER is an important or very important issue for them.