Starter homes: Cobh, Cork €169,000

Size: Sq m 92 (990 sq ft)

There’s an air of cared-for owner-occupation to 8, The Spires in the Cobh town development, evident inside and out. The early-2000s home, built by Ruden Homes with an external Victorian/Edwardian look with banded render, is in this popular Cobh scheme at Carrignafoy.

A big bonus savoured by its owner is the west-facing back garden: it has produced crops of courgettes, peas and beans, and what hasn’t been eaten is in the freezer for the winter months pending a sale. There’s also a hammock, pergola and a shed for more all-weather use in this neat as a pin garden.