Stylish and priced to sell

BALLINHASSIG is about the grow — but only by 46 houses this year. Planning for another 150 houses is in the pipeline and there’s a ready to go site with permission for a further 45 units.

The little west Cork townland, (one pub, one shop and a very good restaurant), has been bypassed by the upgrade of the Cork/ Bandon road and it was only a matter of time before the building bug bit.

Now a new estate of fresh, contemporary housing is about to go up in its centre and there should be a stampede of buyers because the prices are right.

Launched through Jeremy Murphy and Associates, River’s Edge is a mixed scheme with some original concepts on offer, like the two-bed, detached mews houses.

These are pitched at a very attractive, €280,000 and offer just under 880 sq ft of space, with a walled courtyard and first floor terrace.

There are no ‘ordinary’ houses here, architects Kiosk have made sure that despite the breakdown into semis, townhouses and detached properties, the look is not pedestrian.

Young buyers and trader-uppers are finally being offered houses in keeping with the 21st century. And with the property boom now just an emotion recollected in tranquility, this development is pitched at present, rather than previous price levels.

River’s Edge offers price levels lower than similar properties in Bandon and Innishannon, yet is closer to the city with good access, says Jeremy Murphy.

The largest detached properties, which come with their own entrance onto the Five Mile/ Ballinhassig road, start at €630,000 rising to €650,000 and offer 2,324 square feet of space on large sites. These face south over a pedestrian walkway running along the Owenabue river. The layout of the estate is very good: there are just 46 units built on eight acres of land, which allows a lot of green space, parking and play areas. Gardens are also good and even the two-beds come with a decent patch.

There’s one extra attraction: the three and four-bed semis come with the option of an attic conversion.

The four beds start at €390,000 for a house of 1,679 square feet with an extra 371 square feet for a conversion cost of €20,000.

In the three-beds, the overall size of 1,184 can be increased by 270 sq ft at a cost of €15,000, and both conversions offer en-suite bathrooms.

The scheme also offers three-bed townhouses facing onto the village centre with 1,120 sq ft at a list price from €310,000 to €320,000, depending on position.

Likewise, the three-bed semi, with a first floor living room, comes in at €305,000 for 1,050 sq ft.

River’s Edge is a Lifi Construction scheme: headed up by Finbarr O’Sullivan, they have previously developed in Dingle and Newcastle West.

Fifteen units will be released in the first phase, with construction work beginning immediately and already, six of the units have been reserved.

“Because River’s Edge is just 10 minutes south-west of Cork, it’s going to be a big attraction for buyers. And the fact that these units are competitively priced, even in the current climate, means sales will be strong,” says Jeremy Murphy.