Trading Up
With six detached houses successfully reserved immediately on release last weekend in a Nama 80/20 purchase offer in Cork’s Tower, there’s good news for the vendor of this home at Station Road, Blarney — there are disappointed underbidders about the parish.
There’s just been a price drop on this 2,100 sq ft four-bed dormer on a one-third of an acre site, down now from €325,000 to €295,000 with selling agent Humphrey Hogan, who says it’s in top condition, and has stunning Blarney district views as well. Mr Hogan reckons that the price drop, and spring cheer, will bring about a sale.
And, showing the demand for quality and value locally was the weekend turnout of 150-plus callers to the offer in Woodborough, Tower, of six 1,950 sq ft new builds (built by Colemans) on behalf of Nama.
Priced at €335,000 and €349,000 by auctioneer Pat Falvey of Carlton Real Estate, buyers only have to pay 80% up front, with 20% balance due in five years time if the market has dipped by over 20% by then, under special Nama terms. Buyers booking the six houses felt the market had bottomed out and that it was a good time to buy, while the 20%guarantee was an additional incentive, Mr Falvey stated.
VERDICT: Stoneview is one to view now.
Four of this house’s five bedrooms, with their bay windows, look into the embracing approach area of this large, L-shaped Lismore pad — while its main living areas get the best of the expansive, outward looking views.
The splay-shaped 2,700 sq ft modern home near Glenasaggart is packed with internal features and comforts, while its one-acre site is a match for glories, with valley views of the confluence of the rivers Blackwater, and its tributary the Bride near Villierstown.
Built in recent years, and scoring an impressive B2 BER rating, the home’s for sale with David Reynolds of Sherry FitzGerald Reynolds with a €349,000 AMV quoted. It has features like stone-faced bay window trims, is set up for solar heating, has a condenser boiler, pressurised water system, its own well, and a light, bright and airy interior, with large kitchen/dining room at its core.
Designed by an architect, it’s also wheelchair friendly, with an accessible shower enclosure in one of its three shower rooms, and the grounds include a large, railed-in decked space with views.
VERDICT: Lots of space — and there’s even the option of 24 acres of good farmland nearby to buy.
Probably more of a trading-down option than a trader-up, No 56 Copper Valley in Cork’s Ballintemple is, nonetheless, going to get plenty of viewings from the get-go.
This hill-set development, completed in the 1990s by O’Flynn Construction, was a popular home product from day one, with many of the buyers altering floor plans to suit personal tastes.
More than a few were made into two-beds, for example, by single or older buyers just needing one guest room.
And demand for this location and this niche scheme has been consistently good, in boom times and gloom.
No 56, new to market with Brian Olden of Cohalan Downing is still a three-bed, and has good space, some 1,150 sq ft, in its mid-terraced format.
The living space has interlinked ground floor rooms for a front-to-back layout, with a carpeted front sitting room including a white marble fireplace (gas insert), and French doors open to a tiled dining area and kitchen with pine units.
There’s a ground floor guest WC, a bath with shower in the main bathroom, one of the three bedrooms has an en suite and two have built-ins.
VERDICT: Great cul de sac location near services, shops, and easy to keep as it’s mid-terrace with a modest back garden, plus off-street parking.
Blackbrook House can be both home and a home-business base all in one, thanks to its effective split levels, says Sherry FitzGerald auctioneer Michael O’Donovan.
The just appointed agent pins a reduced €335,000 AMV to the four-bed, 2,000 sq ft family home in Upper Glanmire’s Templeisque, adding it has been used as both family home and as a spot to teach music — a point to ‘note’.
The site is one-third of an acre, and thanks to its slope it fits in a functional lower level, with music room down here, as well as utility and guest WC. As it’s got separate external access (and garage) plus internal access, it facilitates working from home, yet keeping a nice level of separation, adds Mr O’Donovan. Alternatively, new owners might just make full use of the two levels, and it’s great for coping with teenagers’ space needs too.
Blackbrook House was built in the late 1970s, and key attractions include proximity to the Dublin road and the Jack Lynch tunnel, as well as to Cork city, yet the setting is rural. There’s country views over the site’s tree-line, and there’s a very useful and large raised patio/viewing point. Gardens are mature, and landscaping and shrubs have all melded together to give colour and interest.
Inside, rooms are bright, the main living room’s also got lovely views out, and two of the four bedrooms are doubles.
VERDICT: A solid Glanmire country home package, at a reduced price.
