Serviced sites make a comeback

ONE end of the market that appears to be immune to the downturn is the sale of serviced sites.

A phenomenon which disappeared during the last 10 years of the property bubble, the plot is back on offer again as house sales stagger.

And for trader-uppers the opportunity to build to one’s own specifications is irresistible, especially in locations within a commute of Cork city.

The Green Belt policy, enshrined since the 1970s, has prevented urban sprawl in the greater Cork area, but it has also created a bottleneck of demand.

Recently, planners have allowed a greater amount of detached and self-build properties in the towns around the city.

Hence, a recent offering in the village of Rathduff, which, while it’s in the rural housing control zone, is also set to benefit from the new commuter rail link to Blarney and onwards to Mallow.

Barry Nagle of Global Properties, Cork is selling four serviced sites off-plan in Rathduff and two have been snapped up already — and the boards are just going up.

Each site runs to 0.37 acres in a fully serviced location, just off the main Cork/Mallow road. The plots come with full planning permission for houses up to 3,000 square foot, designed by The Hyde Partnership, in a single-depth, one and a half storey design.

The type A house has a huge, open plan kitchen/living/dining room with two of its four bedrooms ensuite. The B type has a stunning ground floor layout, with four large bedrooms again with two en suite rooms.

Purchasers have the option of twiddling around with the layout, or even, re-apply for planning.

The sites are on the market from €300,000 to €350,000 per site, and the commute through Blarney via Blackpool is a mere 20 minutes to town, in good traffic, of course.

The entry price includes kerbs, paths, lighting and a green area.

Also for sale is the bungalow on whose spacious grounds these sites have been developed.

A four-bed, detached property it comes with 0.38 of an acre and while it needs modernisation, is a sound buy, says Barry Nagle.

The property is currently under offer at €290,000 and the asking price is €350,000.