Cornering the market

PALMDALE cornered a local market niche as far back as the mid-1990s. This detached house was an early example of the wisdom of building on available corner garden sites.

Not everyone would want to give up their precious green areas and pristine gardens for a house, but with suburban sites worth small fortunes, it is an option for families looking for a site for their offspring, or those looking for a nest egg.

Palmdale, in Browningstown Park, off the Douglas Road in Cork city was built in the side garden of a mid-1900s semi-d. It served almost as a role model for other similar houses built in nearby estates: around the corner in Beechwood, at the junction with Ballinlough Road, a similar corner site with planning for a 1,300 sq ft new build is under offer with James G Coughlan at €200,000, with €250,000 sought.

Other suburban corner sites have made this sort of sum (and more) on Cork’s southside in the past two years. The fact that original semis with these valuable gardens might have sold in the 1950s for €5,000 or so hardly bears thinking about — unless you are a lucky vendor.

Estate agent Tom Woodward seeks €575,000 for detached Palmdale, built, he reckons, about 15 years ago. The house is on a corner site at the top of Browningstown, and has a fourth bedroom at second and attic level.

He notes that it has the sort of mod cons and comforts that its neighbours (unless recently refurbished) won’t have. Rooms include living room with bay window and cast iron fireplace, kitchen/dining room off it via double doors, conservatory, utility and guest WC.

Palmdale has off-street parking, and gardens with mature screening around the corner perimeter.