As building costs fall, pick up site for your ideal home

THERE’S now a market win-win for those who hope to build a house for themselves — site costs have tumbled, as have building and finishing costs. It is a buyer’s/shopper’s market.

There are savings of 25 to 30% to be made on building from scratch, compared to building frenzy times in the mid 2000s.

For those keen to build a one-off bespoke home, the downside too has often been having to move well out to rural areas for a greenfield site to get going on. Now, but aspiring self-builders in and around Cork city, a handful of sites currently up for sale give more tempting options, in locations as close as Beale’s Hill, off Lovers Walk in Montenotte. And, there are adjoining sites also elevated with views further east at Glounthane, while directly north of the city at Whitechurch Sherry FitzGerald have a village site for €180,0000.

Closest to the city centre and within an energetic walk of it via St Luke’s Cross (or up a pedestrian route from Lower Glanmire Road) is the Beales Hill site of half an acre. South facing, with views through trees to the ESB’s Marina plant and the River Lee, it is the lower portion of the grounds of an older house directly behind/above it amidst the verdant greenery.

Roughly cleared to show the walled boundaries, the site has outline planning for one house of a storey and a half, a loose enough labelling to allow dreams of a dormer, stretching to something more architectural and contemporary to match the rarity and contours of the slope. Michael O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald seeks offers around €250,0000 for the chance to live in trees, in a private city setting with perfect southerly aspect, with mains services to hand.

Similarly aspected, but further from town some four or five miles from Cork city, are two adjoining sites at Combermere Woods, in Glounthaune.

The owners of an existing dwelling, again in a wooded setting here above Glounthaune, got planning for four sites behind their own home. One site has been built on, and Sherry FitzGerald are selling a 0.28 acre serviced plot with FPP for a two-storey 2,750 sq ft home, guiding €230,000.

Alongside is a marginally smaller 0.25 acre site with OPP for one dwelling, guided at €240,000 and with more open views right out over Fota, a Martello tower and Cork harbour. The vendors have put in and paved the approach drive and fences.