Starter Homes: Four homes across Cork for less than €300,000

Homes for first-time buyers to consider in Carrigtwohill, Midleton, Mahon and Ballycotton.

Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork €265,000

For its €265,000 asking price, No 48 Maple Lane, Castlelake in Carrigtwohill is quite a sizable property — offering three floors of living space including four bedrooms.

"The owners have added an extension at the rear and created a modern open-plan living area with a sleek high gloss kitchen,’’ says James Colbert of Colbert & Co, noting that the low maintenance garden at the rear with timber decking and astroturf is also an attractive feature.

Built around 12 years ago and subsequently extended to over 1,400 sq ft, the semi-detached property has been very well minded. 

"It offers excellent space for a growing family and the location is very popular – providing easy access to the N25 and Carrigtwohill train station,” observes Mr Colbert.

The ground floor is made up of a series of interconnected rooms. At the front is a tiled kitchen with cream gloss units and a central island. Beyond it is a timber-floored living room with a fireplace and a second archway leading in to the extension which is used as a TV room/dining room. Off the hallway there’s a small utility area/guest WC. The first floor has a bathroom and two bedrooms while the top floor has two spacious bedrooms, including one en suite.

Situated alongside a green area, the property is within a kilometre and a half from shops and amenities in Carrigtwohill and a five-minute drive from the train station.

VERDICT:

Because of its condition, size and price, is likely to attract a lot of attention

Midleton, Co Cork €275,000

The biggest selling point for 22 The Woodlands, Old Cork Road in Midleton isn’t that it’s a well kept modern three-bed semi-d with a guide of €275,000 – it’s that it’s a well kept modern three-bed semi with a guide of €275,000 which is located within a five-minute walk from the town centre.

So says Clare Fox of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan who expects to show it to lots of first-time buyers who are attracted to the idea of buying a home so close to shops, schools and other amenities.

Built in the late 1990s, it’s been well minded by owners who have had it for several years.

“It’s attractively decorated, has an upgraded kitchen and is in walk-in condition,’’ says Ms Fox, adding that the garden at the rear offers good space for family living.

Accommodation at ground level includes tiled living area with a fireplace as well as a kitchen with modern cream units and sliding patio doors opening on to a patio in the back garden. The upper floor has a bathroom and three laminate-floored bedrooms, two doubles and one single.

From the Woodlands, it’s just a five-minute walk to Main Street and a ten-minute walk to the train station.

Ms Fox says that because the development is so close to town, properties there don’t come on the market very often.

A look on the Property Price Register shows three sales this year, including that of No 38, an extended three-bed semi which sold for €322,00 in July. No 22 The Woodlands also shows up as having sold for €174,800 in 2015.

VERDICT:

A good, centrally located starter home.

Mahon, Cork €150,000 

Habitable properties with a guide of €150,000 like 33 Ravendale Road in Mahon can be hard to come by in Cork city.

Selling agents Sherry FitzGerald says the mid-terraced house is in good condition but does need some updating. Built in the 1980s it’s a 975 sq ft property with a C3 energy rating. Accommodation includes a living room, dining room, kitchen and storage room as well as three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Located within a few minutes walk from Mahon Shopping Centre, it’s around a kilometre from Blackrock village.

VERDICT:

Possibly one of the most affordable three-bed houses in the city

Ballycotton, Co Cork, €270,000 

This two-bed semi at 8 Pairc Na Gleann offers sea views from its garden and an opportunity to partake in the Ballycotton lifestyle.

A semi-detached house built in 2003, it’s on the market with contents for a guide of €270,000. Kyle Kennedy of Hegarty Properties is expecting strong first-time buyer interest.

There’s almost 1,200 sq ft of living space, including a sitting room, kitchen diner,  guest WC and utility room. Upstairs there’s a bathroom and two bedrooms, including one with an en suite and one with a balcony offering views of Ballycotton Bay. There’s also an office perfect for a buyer who wants to work from home.

VERDICT: A modern home in an extremely popular seaside village