Buyers got in line early yesterday before the launch of the first new town to be built in Dublin in years. Kate McMorrow reports as starter homes go on sale from €280,000.

Buyers began to queue early yesterday morning for apartments and houses priced between €280,000 and €520,000 at Adamstown, the new town planned for west Dublin.

A total of 330 units go on sale today in a scheme called Adamstown Castle, but these are likely to sell out fast since selling agents Gunne New Homes already has a list of over 2,000 buyers.

The homes being built by Castlethorn - the developer of Dundrum Town Centre - range from one-bedroom apartments to three-storey four-bedroom houses arranged around a series of landscaped open spaces. Gunne New Homes is handling sales.

Half of the 330 units going on sale today will be ready to move into by this summer, says Shane Daly of Gunnes, the rest later in the construction process.

Adamstown is the first scheme in the Government's Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) initiative which was designed to fast-track planning for starter homes. The new town is located off the N4 and the Newcastle Road, near Lucan, well within Dublin's commuter belt.

Nine show units open on the site at noon today to display the full range of homes that will be built in the Castlethorn scheme. Buyers will also be able to view a full scale model of the town that will eventually house 25,000 people.

Adamstown is envisaged primarily as a family location and a one-unit-per-buyer policy should discourage investors. Prices from €280,000 will suit first-time buyers, families and long-distance commuters moving closer to town.

Adamstown Castle is the most significant new homes launch in recent years, a landmark project which will set the standard for future developments of this scale.

Sizes are excellent. One-bedroom apartments of 50-54sq m (538-581sq ft) start at €280,000 and two-bed apartments of 79-87sq m (851-937sq ft) from €320,000.

Two-bedroom duplex units of 80-109sq m (861-1,174sq ft) start at €320,000, while three-bedroom duplexes of 103-124sq m (1,108-1,335sq ft) are from €335,000.

Three-bedroom houses of 108sq m (1,163sq ft) are priced from €395,000 and four-bedroom houses of 130sq m (1,399sq ft) from €490,000. Families trading up will aim for four-bedroom houses with a study, garage and 143sq m (1,539sq ft) of space, priced from €520,000.

Some infrastructure for Adamstown Castle is already in place, such as a children's playground and bus stop. This is in line with a stipulation that transport, schools and recreational facilities slot into place as phases come on stream. The first primary school is due to open in September 2007. The station will be up and running by March 2007.

Adamstown will provide 10,000 new homes when completed. Open space will account for 72 acres, with neighbourhood greens, playing pitches and a central park.

Viewers will be directed into the marketing suite, then onwards through landscaped gardens to the show units.

Most of these look out on a lawn with a spreading lime tree which will be spectacular come the summer.

Architect O'Mahony Pike has pulled out all the stops, with bright dual aspect living spaces and a good choice of styles, far removed from the same-looking developments springing up across the city.

Finish is excellent, with kitchen appliances, fully tiled bathrooms and large decked balconies or trellised gardens. Buyers can choose kitchens and fireplaces from a selection on offer. Cabling is in place for a smart home system.

Four different designers fitted out the show units, some fashionably minimalist, others with a colourful retro theme.

Particularly impressive are two and three-bedroom duplex units on ground and first floors, with two overhead apartments using a separate entrance.

Management charges in the development will be €470 per year for houses and from €970 to over €1,250 for apartments.

Viewing starts at noon today and continues until next Wednesday. People in yesterday's queue were given cards reserving their place for when the show units open.

Those anxious not to miss the boat at Adamstown would be advised to arrive early.