Starter homes: Neat, trimmed and ready-to-go semi

Location: Ballincollig, Cork

The back garden is nearly a room in its own right, at 6 The Cedars in Classic Lake, just west of Ballincollig. It’s neat, trimmed, planted with conifers, home to a shed and decking, and is entirely useful as that elusive ’room outdoors: ’ just add sunshine.

The level of care taken in the garden is as evident in the rooms inside, and certainly now that November arrives in a gust, they’ll be the rooms most savoured by home-hunters this side of Christmas; the garden will come back into its own once spring gets the upper hand.

This three-bed semi-d is a new to market listing with agent Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald who guides at €220,000, and who says it’s spick and span, tastily decorated and presented in neutral colours, with a nice kitchen/dining room behind.

That room is 17’ by 11’, with cream units and an island in walnut, porcelain tiled floor, and has sliding door access to a rear decked patio.

There’s a guest WC under the stairs, but no utility, and the front sitting room is a decent 15’ by 11’ with fireplace. Upstairs two bedrooms are doubles, one’s en suite and the third is a definite single. Location is handy for access to the Ballincollig bypass, and thus all routes east and west.

VERDICT: A clean, ready-to-go buy.