Pick up a Buttevant semi for a bargain at €99,000

HE tried selling them in bulk a year ago and now auctioneer Johnny Ryan is going the tried and tested, ‘Dunnes Stores’ pricing route for Town Heights — selling the Buttevant semis for €99,000 each.

Following on last week’s sale of Mullingar apartments for less than €90,000, Ryan is hoping the same approach will shift the three completed, (and award-winning units) left in the Town Heights estate in Buttevant, north Cork, midway between Cork and Limerick.

Although on a rail line, the train doesn’t stop here, so it’s mostly for car commuters who’d like to pay less than €400 per month for a place on which to lay their heads.

And Buttevant is a grand place, says Ryan, with great amenities, a dynamic council, good GAA club and great pub scene and a great community spirit.

“I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s unhappy with their move,” he says, “and for young couples starting out, it’s cheaper than renting.

“The investor’s gone but the market is tough going out there and these houses are selling for less than a site would have cost two years ago. Banks are rabbiting on about the finance, but where is it going? This was a very good selling estate, it would have sold before the rest of them, but it’s almost impossible to sell cheap at the moment because the financing isn’t there. “Property will never again be as cheap and I feel really sorry for those who paid €220,000 at peak, but the builder is also losing money here and there are three houses left to sell and planning for another one hundred in the next, but they may never be built.”

Designed by Kiosk Architects, with a very good flow of rooms and great internal space, the properties are part of a fully finished estate, with tarmac, lighting and green areas in place, says Ryan.

House rental levels are in the region of €600 per month locally, he adds, and there’s good demand, but this estate will suit someone who can comes up with the minimum deposit and can borrow on the rest.

And therein lies the rub.