Million dollar view from this €435,000 Fountainstown do-er up-er

Demand is going through the roof for South Cork coastal homes, writes Catherine Shanahan

Thu, 29 Apr, 2021 - 16:45

Fountainstown, Co Cork
€435,000
Size	106 sq m (1140 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	G

“IT’S nuts for the last three months,” says auctioneer Michael Pigott vis-à-vis the demand for coastal properties in his south Cork bailiwick.

Two properties he handled recently have gone for a tidy sum: Seathrift, on Fountainstown’s Ferry Road, a three-bed as close as you can get to the ocean without actually floating on it, and Darya in nearby Myrtleville, a couple of hundred yards from the beach.

Contracts have been signed on ripe-for-modernisation Seathrift, at €65,000 above the €450,000 asking price, while walk-in Darya is poised to make “big money” Mr Pigott says, “well over the €620,000 asking price”.

Seathrift, on 0.25 of an acre and with 25 metres of sea frontage, sold inside a month of going to market and Darya, a dormer on 0.82 of an acre, with full planning permission in place for a second property on its sloping grounds, only came to market in March, when it featured in these pages.

This kind of demand and the prices being achieved bear out what Irish Examiner Property Editor Tommy Barker highlighted recently - that the Coast Road between Fountainstown and Myrtleville is on its way to emulating the coastal stretch from Kinsale town to Summercove, known as the Golden Mile, where house sales above €1m are relatively commonplace. While these kind of price highs are not de rigueur in Fountainstown, just this month a brand new home, Med Jez, on the Coast Road, featured in Property & Home, with an asking price of €1.8m.

Against this backdrop, Mr Pigott’s optimism in relation to his latest offering is well-founded. It’s The Eaves on Coast Road and although its age shows - it’s been around for five decades or thereabouts - it truly has views to die for.

What's on offer? The Atlantic, Fountainstown Strand, Ringabella, and all that gorgeous watery activity that comes with an ocean view.

What’s more, it’s on 0.3 of an acre - an even bigger site than Seathrift. “I’m expecting it to make over €500,000,” says Mr Pigott, which, if it does, will, like Seathrift, be €65,000 over the [€435,000] asking price.

The Eaves has a fantastic south-facing aspect and a somewhat dated look, not unlike the many summer bungalows that shot up around Crosshaven, Myrtleville, Robert’s Cove and Fountainstown during the ‘50s and ‘60s, some of which were built using crates purchased by enterprising holidaymakers from the Ford factory on the Marina in Cork city.

The top half of The Eaves is made of cedarwood and sensibly, the main accommodation is at the upper level, maximising the enjoyment of that stunning panorama.

The upper level is accessed via a staircase to a balcony area and consists of a living room, kitchen/dining, utility room, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

Ground floor level is built of brick and has two additional bedrooms, a WC, and a workshop. The building energy rating (BER) is G and the overall floor size is 106 sq m.

Mr Pigott says The Eaves, the subject of a probate sale, is a definite “do-er up-er”, although there’s a chance too that new owners will go for a knock and re-build, as per €1.8m Med Jez, where the buyers razed what was there, after paying €550,000 in 2016, opting for a new build.

What The Eaves looks like though is of no import whatsoever compared to its million dollar view: the Atlantic, Fountainstown Strand, Ringabella, and all that gorgeous watery activity that comes with an ocean vista.

Then there’s that lovely stroll down to Fountainstown Beach — a favourite with Rise and Shine swimmers — or up over the road to Myrtleville Beach, perhaps stopping off at Poll Gorm (Poulgorm) en route, deep enough for a dive when the tide is right. Onwards then — pandemic restrictions easing - to beachside Bunnyconnellan’s for lunch or, over to Crosshaven village for a wider choice, once lockdown lifts. Or just take it easy on the balcony at The Eaves, a private, enclosed site, with access to a quiet cul-de-sac road and with extensive frontage onto the Coast Road.