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

Properties in Dunworley, Midleton, Blackpool, and Lee Road

Lehenagh Cottage, Dunworley

Dunworley, West Cork €300,000

The idea of working from home in a scenic West Cork cottage isn’t the pipe dream it used to be. This property at Lehenagh, overlooking Dunworley Bay, is attracting interest from buyers who want to make it a reality.

That's according to auctioneer Henry O’Leary, who says that coastal properties such as this one used to sell as holiday homes but are now being viewed by city buyers relocating to find clean fresh air, sea views, and a whole new lifestyle.

The home has a stunning interior.

“It has views of Clonakilty Bay on one side and of Dunworley Bay on the other and is within a short drive from Dunworley beach," he says.

This is a 200-year-old stone cottage which has been extended, upgraded and redecorated.

Situated a field away from a line of cliffs overhanging the bay, the attractively modernised property with a half-acre site is new to the market with a guide of €300,000.

At one side of the U-shaped property is the original cottage which has a high ceiling living room with a stove as well a bedroom and a mezzanine bedroom above it.

Accommodation in the newer part includes a corner sunroom/dining area opening into a kitchen with a small selection of units. There’s also a bathroom, a WC and two bedrooms, including one with an en suite.

The property is located 12km from Clonakilty and 23km from Bandon.

VERDICT: There is a small risk that the sea views could prove distracting to people working from home.

Midleton, Cork €275,000

Because three-bed semis are currently in short supply in Midleton, Clare Fox of Sherry FitzGerald is expecting lots of attention for No 36 Meadowlands in Broomfield. 

“It’s larger than average with 1,200 sq ft of living space and has been lovingly maintained by its current house-proud owners,’’ she says, quoting a guide of €275,000.

Built in the early 2000s, it’s a modern property which at ground level has a timber floored dining room/ playroom and a small utility area in addition to a living room, a kitchen diner, and a guest WC.

The living room at the front of the house has a fireplace and oak flooring as well as a bay window with a built-in seat while the kitchen diner at the rear has timber fitted units and a sliding patio door. 

The upstairs has a bathroom and three bedrooms, including one with wall-to-wall wardrobes and an en suite. 

The owners have done some landscaping in the back garden which has a circular lawn with some graveled areas, a patio, a stone feature, and a raised bed along one of the walls.

Situated within a 15-minute walk from Midleton train station, Meadowlands is less than two kilometres from shops, schools, and amenities in the town centre.

Ms Fox says Broomfield is a very popular development and houses in Meadowlands don’t come on the market too often. 

The Property Price Register shows just one sale in Meadowlands in 2020 involving No 9, a four-bed semi which sold for €295,000 in March — €10,000 above its guide price.

VERDICT: Just the type of property that first time buyers usually look for.

Blackpool, Cork €150,000

Easily one of the most affordable properties in the city, No 9 Gerald Griffin Avenue in Blackpool is on the market, complete with contents, for a guide price of €150,000. 

Gillian McDonnell of Sherry FitzGerald says the three-bed mid terrace property is in good condition and is conveniently located within walking distance of the city centre and Blackpool.

Accommodation includes a sitting room, a living room or study and a kitchen diner while upstairs has a bathroom and three bedrooms. 

On street at the front, the house has a south facing garden area at the rear.

VERDICT: Habitable properties in this price range are hard to find in the city.

Lee Road, Cork €160,000

This one-bed fully furnished apartment on the Lee Road with a guide of €160,000 might do nicely for someone thinking about becoming a homeowner instead of a tenant. 

The ground floor apartment at 4 Lee Vista has 420 sq ft of living space and is said to be well maintained. 

“The kitchen and bathroom has been upgraded,’’ says Mark Gosling of Beehan Irwin Gosling. Accommodation includes an open plan kitchen living room, as well as a bathroom and a bedroom.

VERDICT: Attractive to both investors and FTBs.