Close to college and the city with all the space a family could need

DESPITE the massive surge in supply in purpose-built student accommodation near UCC in Cork, most notably at Victoria Cross, investors continue to eye up houses as letable and bankable opportunities.

It might be expected that a number of houses in the college's vicinity could return to private residential usage given the thousands of new bedspaces provided existing families sometimes feel under siege during the academic year, with a mass exodus in summer.

A house new on the market on College Road, 5 Fernhurst, has all the space a family could need when looking to move close to the city centre, but the odds are that it will again go to an investor.

Let out in recent years, but currently vacant, the three-storey house has four bedrooms at present, but could have six, plus a ground floor shower room and guest WC, with the main bathroom at first floor return.

The first floor 16' by 12' main bedroom is big enough to divide into two, and a ground floor reception could also be used as a bedroom, hence its income-generating appeal to investors.

But, for private buyers, the house could easily enough be upgraded given its attractions such as fireplaces in all the bedrooms and two ground floor reception rooms (although it already has gas heating) its front garden with parking space, and long back garden, walled at the end.

Agent Ann O'Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald seeks offers around €490,000.