Last chance to buy into niche development at Cork’s Evergreen Road

Seven homes in Cork’s South Parish offer modern comforts in an old city quarter, and the last one’s now on offer, writes Tommy Barker.

Evergreen Street, Cork €195,000

Sq m 78 (840 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2

BER: B1

The early birds got choice pickings in the case of sales at Evergreen Close, in the very heart of Cork city’s South Parish — where, now, there’s a last chance to buy into this niche development of seven homes at No 3.

Builder Dan O’Brien of OBR Construction (who’s just commenced building six semis in Blackrock village’s Rope Walk this month also) started here prior to Christmas 2013, and sales clocked up fast; but he had kept No 3 Evergreen Close, plus a small one on the main Evergreen Road back until the development was all finished off and landscaped.

The first buyers moved here in summer 2014, having each bought at around €170,000, and now estate agent Jeremy Murphy prices the last remaining No 3 at 195,000, more or less in line with market pick-up and price rises during ’14.

It has a builder’s finish, so will need things like flooring and a kitchen: it has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two parking spaces and a good B1 BER. It’s easy city living personified.

The development, built on an infill site between Parkowen/Quaker Road and Nicholas Street and behind a terraced home that was demolished for access and then replaced, had been used as a woodwork and furniture factory, and before that was a piggery.

“It gives a unique opportunity to buy a new property in an older neighbourhood, a few minutes’ walk from the city centre,” notes auctioneer Jeremy Murphy. As well as the Rope Walk semis, builder Dan O’Brien has has also acquired a high-profile site in the western suburbs, due to go for mixed-use planning shortly.

VERDICT: City development proves to be Evergreen.