What the price of a Dublin terrace home will get you in West Cork, Clare and Killarney

City to Country: How a city sale can fund a lifestyle shift to the countryside

No 6 Foster Terrace, Ballybough in Dublin is on sale for €450,000.

Ballybough, Dublin
€450,000
Size	82 sq m (882 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	D1

Cute on the outside and picture-perfect on the inside, No 6 Foster Terrace in Ballybough has everything you could ask for in a compact, centrally located property in Dublin.

Dating from 1886, the three-bed mid-terrace property has been sympathetically upgraded in recent years by the current owners, who kept some old features and added new ones, including a Jacuzzi bath.

Quoting a guide of €450,000, Christina Simons of KM Property says she’s in love with the property and expects viewers to feel the same.

The owners have made particularly good use of the cottage’s 882 sq ft of space and managed to fit in a utility room and three bedrooms.

In the high-ceilinged front sitting room, the coving and cast-iron fireplace have been restored and the sash windows replaced, and the owners have painted the room pale grey and fitted bespoke units in the alcoves.

Beyond the living room is a master bedroom overlooking the paved courtyard garden at the side, which is planted with a few olive trees.

In a long extension at the rear, there’s a kitchen diner with painted timber flooring and cream units. At the very back of the property, there’s a bathroom, a utility area and a bedroom, while the upper floor has a room that doubles as an office and a guest bedroom.

Ms Simons says the area, which is located close to Croke Park, is peaceful, residential and convenient. It’s about 1.5 km from Upper O’Connell Street.

VERDICT: Very tastefully done.

Clonakilty, Co Cork
€340,000
Size	26 sq m ( 1,350 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4/5
Bathrooms	4
BER	C3

The West Cork town of Clonakilty seems to have been attracting more than its fair share of relocating buyers in recent times.

According to auctioneer Martin Kelleher  the town has been seeing an influx of buyers from all over the country, which is continuing this year despite the easing of restrictions. “Clonakilty is a multi-award winning, cosmopolitan, welcoming seaside town which boasts 12 beaches within 12 miles and has an excellent range of services and high-speed broadband,” he says, noting it was one of the top five locations shortlisted in the Irish Times Best Place to Live competition in 2021.

It can thus be expected that relocating buyers will be among those showing up for viewings at this four/five-bed detached house at 14 Wayside Drive. Built in the 1990s, it’s a spacious 1,350 sq ft property located in a cul-de-sac of detached houses within a 10-minute walk from the town centre.

Although it has been well looked after, it will probably require some decorative updating but has excellent space for a family and its accommodation includes a sunroom, a guest WC and utility as well as two en suite bathrooms.

There’s also a ground-floor room intended as a fifth bedroom but which would be ideal for a home office.

New to the market with a guide of €340,000, the property is expected to attract interest from Cork City buyers planning to move their families to Clonakilty and Mr Kelleher thinks it could also prove attractive to relocators from Dublin.

VERDICT: A spacious and relatively affordable home in a very popular town.

Kilfenora, Co Clare
€399,000
Size	202 sq m (2,174 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	4
BER	A3

Some rural relocators seek out rustic stone cottages but others prefer the modern comfort and energy efficiency level provided by newer properties like this three-bed one at Ballybreen, Kilfenora, at the edge of the Burren.

Completed just last year, it’s a single storey over basement house with the Liscannor stone cladding you might expect in Clare. High-spec and ultra-modern, it has extensive glazing, tiled flooring, quality kitchen units with granite worktops as well as a balcony with countryside views and a basement garage with an automated door. An A3 energy rating has been achieved with air to water heating.

Quoting a guide of €399,000, Matt Griffin of Streets Ahead Properties says the interior of the 2, 170 sq ft property is in pristine condition. It’s on a site of over half an acre and the grounds have been gravelled but need some finishing work.

While Kilfenora is probably best known for its céilí band, it is, according to Mr Griffin, most popular for its proximity to Lahinch and Doolin and the Clare coast. “This property would cost €600,000 if it were in Lahinch,’’ he observes.

Located 1 km outside Kilfenora, the house is within a 15-minute drive of Lahinch beach and Doolin while Ennistymon is 8 km away. Mr Griffin says viewers to-date have come from Limerick, Cork and Dublin and have included relocators who ask about broadband and schools. “There is good-quality broadband available from three providers and there are primary schools in Kilfenora and Lisdoonvarna.”

VERDICT: Scenic, spacious and very modern.

Killarney, Co Kerry
€395,000
Size	115 sq m (1,240 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	A3

The last remaining house in a development of just four at Ballycasheen on the outskirts of Killarney, No 3 Bruach Na Beithe, looks ready to move in to.

A three-bed mid terrace, it has, according to Ted Healy or DNG Healy, been fully finished and fitted out to a showhouse standard. “The furnishings as well as the appliances are included in the sale,” he adds.

Features in the 1,240 sq ft A3-rated property include air to water heating, heat recovery ventilation and triple glazing and the house has quality tiling, oak internal doors, fitted wardrobes and modern kitchen units.

“The location on the banks of the River Flesk is idyllic and to the rear there’s a private garden with a patio overlooking the river,’’ says Mr Healy, noting it’s within a short walk of St Oliver’s National School and is close to amenities.

The small Bruach na Beithe development is located a little over 1.5 km from Killarney town centre. Mr Healy says viewers for Bruach na Beithe have been varied and have included some trading down and some relocating. “The purchasers of the other three have all come from outside the area – one was returning from abroad and another was moving from Cork,’’ he reveals. For those exploring the option of working from home, he says high-speed broadband is available.

Priced at €395,000, the property has, according to Mr Healy, not been registered for the Help to Buy scheme.

VERDICT: A ready-to-go home.