Sites to build on suburbs

Lots of building potential may generate bidding interest for these sites, writes Tommy Barker

Bad and all as the building industry is right now, construction of one-off houses is continuing to show a pulse — thousands are being built every year still.

For those keen to realise that great ambition, to build their own home, two sites in strong Cork City suburban settings have come to market via agent Trish Stokes of Lisney. And, the fact each is capable of taking a couple of new-builds gives the chance for several bidders to come together to reduce buying costs.

First up, on the city’s venerable northside at Buxton Hill a sunny, level site of 1.17 of an acre has a current grant of planning for four, detached two storey houses.

However, good and all as the permission is, there’s scope for even better end product, for just two houses, on c 0.65 acre plots, suggests Ms Stokes.

Guide price is €275,000 for the overall site, just on the highest end up the steep and narrow Buxton Hill, above Sunday’s Well, with other pedestrian access points from Sunday’s Well by Janemount and from Blarney Street. Cork City centre is a 10 minute walk, and UCC and Bon Secours are also accessible via Dalys’ Bridge.

Meanwhile, across the city at Carr’s Hill on the edge of Douglas village, Lisney have a one-acre site at the corner of Ardarrig for sale.

Currently home to a derelict mid-1900s bungalow, it too has a successful planning file, but for density of 9 to 11 houses, so a lower density is quite likely to find favour in an altered development climate. However, guide price also with Lisney is significantly higher than in Sunday’s Well, at €475,000, but may be open to other offers. It could suit a small number of detached houses where several bidders could come together to achieve economies of scale. It adjoins the Murphy Construction Clarendon Brook scheme where nine 1,200 sq ft townhouses were relaunched by Lisney last month at prices from €205,000.

Because of value (they’d been priced in the €500,000s back in 2007) and location, they’ve come under strong scrutiny, with 33 viewings to date, and four are under offer.