Rent-to-buy

A RENT-to-buy option is being offered on the 10 remaining houses at the east Cork village of Cloyne.

An earlier offer of a year’s free mortgage is being switched to the rent-to-buy option, where any rent paid can be used to off-set a subsequent purchase price, says estate agent William Hunter, who reckons anyone moving in and renting will move to a mortgage after a year or so.

Ashcroft is a scheme of 12 1,100 sq ft houses. Townhouses here are priced at €225,000 and semis are €239,000. “Prices now have pretty much bottomed out for new homes, this is a great deal,” says the Davis Hunter agent.