Starter home: College Road, Cork €205,000

The location near UCC almost guarantees interest, writes Trish Dromey.

Size: 97sq m (1,045sq ft)

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 1

BER: E2

Now that the students have gone home for the summer, several rental properties near UCC have come on the market.

Among them is 47 McCurtain Villas, a mid-terrace 1,045 sq ft property, which has been laid out for student lettings with five bedrooms.

Guiding at €205,000, it’s being sold by Cohalan Downing auctioneers who say it has had a few viewings from owner occupiers but is getting much more interest from investors.

While it is in reasonably good condition for students, it would require reconfiguration and work if it were to be turned back into a family home, observes auctioneer Suzanne Tyrell noting that the location, off College Road in a mature established neighbourhood, is superb.

She says that the rent per week for each of the bedrooms is €75 for a 40 week period, which means the house has a rental income of in the region of €15,000 for the college year.

Fitted with a mix of aluminium and PVC double glazed windows and gas heating, the property has an E2 energy rating. Ms Tyrell says it is in need of some cosmetic attention.

At ground level, the house has a living room, a kitchen and a small utility area, a bathroom and two small bedrooms, while upstairs there are three more bedrooms.

The gardens at back and front, like most student properties in the areas, would benefit from the liberal use of weedkiller.

Ms Tyrell says there’s good investor interest in this and 1 Rosenheim and 2 Minerva Terrace, other student properties on College Road.

VERDICT: The location near UCC means come September, the investor who buys it should be guaranteed tenants.