Area Profile: Joanmount

AREA SNAPSHOT

This week we are back in the north of the city, taking a look at Joanmount. This micro-locality is situated at the top of the Oldpark Road where it meets the Ballysillan Road. Based where it is, on major roads that link the Crumlin and Antrim Roads, it’s on a key arterial route to and from the city centre, as well as to North Belfast’s key amenities, such as major supermarkets, schools, libraries and health centres.

Key features of the area are its good bus links, lots of schools, local churches and shops and amenities. It’s a family area through and through – people tend to stay here for life. It has fantastic rental potential and most will be keen to rent long-term, which off-sets the fact that rental yields can be low compared to other parts of the city.

It’s not as culturally and ethnically diverse as, say, some areas of South Belfast, but it is a close-knit community so residents (including tenants) need to keep their noses clean, ie avoid any behaviour deemed by their community to be anti-social.

WORD ON THE STREETS

Joanmount Gardens

With 200+ addresses, this long and winding road is ideal for the buy-to-let investor who wants a long-term rental to a family or couple. Mostly 2 and 3-bed semis with gardens and some with off-street parking, houses start around the £50,000 to £60,000 mark here and will rent or re-sell with no trouble at all.

Coombe Hill Park and Formby Park

Properties in these two streets are like hen’s teeth on both the sales and letting markets – there are a lot of owner occupiers in this area, and when rentals are snapped up, people tend to stay long-term. Lots of small but perfectly formed semis, some with decent gardens and outdoor space.

Wallasey Park

With a prime location right beside the local primary school (Carrs Glen) these are popular family properties, so – again – if you see them come on to the market, get in quick. We’ve noticed a couple recently have come on to the market for re-sale following refurbishment, so Wallasey could be ripe for both re-sale investment as well as buy-to-let.