Property: Donaghadee named best place to live in Northern Ireland, but estate agent has bad news for people wanting to move there

Stephen Bailie, who has worked in the town for more than 30 years, said: "Sadly there’s not a great deal of properties here. Once people get here, they stay here, they’re not moving.

"There’s a lack of stock coming on with everybody, but I’m blaming that more on what’s happening economically – interest rates are going up, the cost of living, people aren’t sure about moving.

"It’s also down to the fact that in Northern Ireland we don’t have to move, we like to move. You can live in Donaghadee and work anywhere in the country. You think of people in England and the huge commutes they make to work.”

He said there was a lot of movement around Covid, but now people have become settled: “During and after Covid a lot of people were wanting out of the city, or coming home from the mainland, they wanted a coastal retreat.

"A lot of people who were working in England maybe realised they could commute once or twice a month and they could enjoy the standard of living in Northern Ireland. We’re probably still the cheapest region in the UK.

"What happened during Covid was a lot of people got work done on their homes, people are very content. That’s also why there’s a lack of property because people like where they live.

"If people move they tend to stay in the same area, usually where they grew up.”

Stephen’s company Bailie Property has nine properties in Donaghadee on its website ranging from a five bedroom detached house listed just shy of £300,000 down to a two bed apartment at £85,000.

The PropertyPal website has a few dozen properties listed included a semi-detached six bedroom house starting at £675,000.

Stephen said: “You’re talking on average around £275,000 to £300,000 for a detached family home in Donaghadee – that’s still cheap compared to a similar house in Belfast.”

He went on to discussed the town’s appeal: “It’s that coastal living, that rural setting, away from the hustle and bustle.

“That’s not to say the town is very successful commercially. You’ve got The Cabin, which has been going since 1929, you’ve got what is supposedly the oldest bar in Ireland – Grace Neill’s. There’s not one bad restaurant in the town – competition has enhanced that. There’s not one empty shop unit in the town.”

The Sunday Times judges said of Donaghadee: “All the joy of living by the sea surrounded by a friendly community is what you get in this colourful seaside town.

"It has been attracting attention, from viewers of the BBC daytime TV drama Hope Street, but it’s also in demand by commuters from Belfast and beyond who are happy to add a few extra miles to their journey in return for clean seas to swim in, beautiful views and a lively community that comes out in force for the summer and Christmas festivals.”

Three locations in Northern Ireland are featured in the comprehensive guide – the others were Ormeau and Enniskillen.

Wadhurst in East Sussex was named the overall winner of Best Places to Live.

The online guide is published today – thetimes.co.uk/bestplacestolive – and it will also feature in the magazine supplement of this weekend’s Sunday Times.