Starter homes: The Lough, Cork €260,000

Size: Sq m 110 (1,185 sq ft)

It looks new, inside and out, but No 3A Lough View in Cork is a renovation and extension job, at the end of a well-established inner suburban terrace, according to auctioneer Johnny O’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald. He seeks €260,000 for what’s quite a rare offer, a four-bed detached in as-new condition, above the amenity area, popular walking spot and bird-landing waters/wildfowl sanctuary that is the Lough.

“Location is the key,” he says of the 1,185 sq ft house near UCC, the Bon Secours hospital and a short stroll to the city centre via Barrack Street.

It’s been fairly extensively worked on over the past six months, with a new kitchen extension out the back, and hasn’t yet been lived in.

No 3A was for sale a year ago, with different agents, in a boarded up and unfinished state. Back then, it had a €50,000 asking price, but sold for €78,000. Now, it’s in turn-key condition, with reseeded lawns just greening in and has a condenser boiler for zoned central heating, triple glazing, and high levels of insulation. It has engineered wood floors at ground level, tiles in the kitchen extension with vaulted ceilings with twin Veluxes and spotlights, two reception rooms, and ground level guest WC. The first floor has three beds and a family bathroom, with an attic bedroom four 16’ by 12’ with Veluxes and the best, south-facing views over the Lough.

VERDICT: Good to go, once more.