Starter Homes: Four homes in Cork for first-time buyers to consider

Homes in Kinsale, Glanmire, Cork city and Wilton for less than €300,000

Chairman's Lane, Kinsale, Cork

Kinsale, Co Cork €295,000

A whole range of options are open to the purchaser of this colourful property at 1 Chairman’s Lane in Kinsale town centre. Probably dating from the 1800s, it used to be two terraced cottages but later became one large one before the current owners located an art gallery on the ground floor and created a two-bed apartment on the first floor and rented out the attic studio to an artist.

“It could be turned into apartments or bought by someone who wants to use the ground floor as a shop and live above it,’’ says selling agent Victoria Murphy of Johanna Murphy auctioneers pointing out there’s also the option of turning it back into a house again.

Ms Murphy actually owned the property herself in the 1980s at which point it was just one end of terrace house. “It’s old and interesting with three-foot thick stone walls and is on a pretty, sloping laneway which got its name because the chairmen lived there — men who carried people who came off boats up the town in chairs,’’ she reveals.

Quoting a guide of €295,000, she says the property is in need of modernisation and refurbishment but is open to offers for a quick sale.

On the ground floor, there’s an art gallery while the first floor has a two-bed apartment with a small sitting room, a kitchenette and a bathroom.

Up in the attic, there’s a small attic studio and outside at the rear, there’s a small yard.

“The location is excellent being in the heart of the town yet not near noisy pubs,” says Ms Murphy.

VERDICT: Colourful and very central.

Crone’s Lane, Cork €190,000

Making the most of their small terraced home, the owners of 7 Crone’s Lane near Cork city centre have added an extension, used space creatively, and adopted a nautical theme.

Much more interesting than the typical property of this type, it’s now a cosy looking cottage with a modern bathroom, an upgraded kitchen and some timber-panelled rooms. “While modernising they put on a new roof, rewired it and put in a high level of insulation,” says Terence O’Leary of Murray Browne auctioneers who is seeking offers of €190,000.

Describing the extension as “groovy” he says the property has been very well decorated and maintained by the owners who have had it for 15 years or more The extension houses a kitchen with white units and contrasting red tiles as well as a dining area with a breakfast bar and a timber panelled loft area. Decorated to resemble a ship’s cabin, the dining area is filled with maritime memorabilia including a miniature ship, some boat photos and a lifebuoy.

The property also has two sitting rooms as well as two bedrooms and an upgraded bathroom. On-street at the front, it has a garden at the rear where the owners put in a raised decking area and built a PVC clad shed for use as a utility room. Mr O’Leary says that the garden is large for a terraced property near the city centre Located off Tower Street, Crones Lane is just a 10-minute walk from the South Mall.

VERDICT:

Affordable and interesting

Glanmire, Co Cork €220,000

Three-bed semis in Glanmire don’t get much more affordable than 13 Hazelwood Way in Riverstown which is new to the market with a guide of €220,000.

Located within five kilometres from the Lee Tunnel, it’s a well-maintained 1980s built property.

Accommodation includes a sitting room and a family room opening into the sunroom.

Selling agents Sherry FitzGerald say that the location, in a mature cul de sac development close to local amenities and within easy reach of the tunnel, is a strong selling point.

VERDICT:

Possibly the most affordable three-bed semi in Glanmire at present.

Wilton, Cork €210,000

Its €210,00 guide price puts No 43 The Avenue in Garrane Darra at the more affordable end of the Wilton property market.

Describing the two-bed ground floor apartment as being well maintained and attractively decorated, selling agents Irish & European say it’s also conveniently located within a short drive from Wilton shopping centre.

VERDICT: Well kept with a B3 BER rating which should make it toasty in winter.