Starter home: Ballinlough, Cork €180,000

Turn key condition two-bed terraced home has city centre convenience.

Size: 65 sq m (700 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 2

BER: C1

READY to move in to, with a guide of €180,000, No 3 Ballinlough Road is one of a type of affordable properties thin on the ground in Cork city.

Situated off the main Douglas Road, close to St Finbarr’s Hospital the two-bed cottage is, according to Google maps, just a 12 minute walk from Cork City Hall.

Part of a terrace built in the 1900s, it was bought for €90,000 in March 2010 by a builder who thoroughly renovated it and sold it for €158,000 the following year to an owner occupier who has lived there ever since.

Selling agents Murray Browne auctioneers say the 700 sq ft property is bright and modern and has been kept in spotless condition by its owner.

During renovations the builder knocked walls and reconfigured the space.

The ground floor is now an open plan oak floored room which has a living area with a brick fireplace and a stove at the front and a fitted kitchen with appliances at the rear.

Upstairs there are two timber floored bedrooms — one with fitted wardrobes and one with slide robes.

The cottage which once had no bathroom at all, now has two at this level — including one with a bath and one with a shower.

Fitted with double glazed windows and gas heating, the property has a C1 energy rating.

To the rear there’s a paved patio for sitting out and a small well-tended bed which is full of colourful summer blooms.

There isn’t off street parking but an owner would be near enough to walk to town.

VERDICT: With its location, price and condition, it’s certain to attract first time buyer interest.