“What if I could find you a two-bedroom house around the corner?” It’s a simple question, but it sits at the centre of Good Neighbour, a new venture from RTÉ broadcaster Jacqui Hurley that aims to match downsizers with families hoping to trade up in the same area.
Launched with local ties in mind, the business is built around a familiar Irish reality: older homeowners want something smaller, but not a life somewhere else. Younger families need more room, but often don’t want to lose their school run, club, neighbours or community. Good Neighbour tries to bridge that gap by helping both sides find a workable move nearby.
Keeping moves local with Good Neighbour
Hurley, who has lived in Stillorgan for two decades, says the idea grew from watching friends and family run into the same problem from opposite directions. One group was looking to downsize locally. The other was desperate for more space without leaving the area behind.
That local connection is the point. Good Neighbour focuses on matching people by neighbourhood, property size and shared goals, even seeking out potential homes directly when needed.
- Downsizers can list for free for the first three months
- Matched homeowners still go through full legal and valuation checks
- Top-up mortgage support can be arranged for buyers trading up
- Typical timelines are said to run from four to six weeks after contracts are signed
The model is not an informal swap. Solicitors, independent valuers and standard sale procedures remain part of every deal. The difference is that Good Neighbour starts with the human side first: who wants to stay, who needs to move, and whether those needs can meet on the same map.
There’s warmth in that idea, and practicality too. In a tight housing market, Good Neighbour offers a route that feels less like starting over and more like staying connected. As Hurley put it, people simply want a home that suits them better. Sometimes, that home may be just around the corner.
Image Courtesy: The Irish Times
