Starter Homes: Quaint seaside cottage for €275,000 is more spacious than you first imagine

Homes for first-time buyers to consider in Crosshaven, Tower Street, Saleen and Pouladuff

For those who relish the dream of owning an idyllic seaside cottage, The Coach House in Crosshaven could be one to watch.

Crosshaven, Co Cork
€275,000
Size	130 sq m (1,399 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	E2

A buyer whose idea of a perfect home involves a pretty, old-world cottage near the sea will love the Coach House, The Glen in Crosshaven. Built 100 years ago or so, it’s a two-bed property, prettily painted red and white on the outside, and is located almost across the road from the Royal Cork Yacht Club.

Quoting a guide of €275,000, auctioneer Michael Pigott says it’s got charm and character and is larger than you would expect a two-bed cottage to be.“It’s been extended and now has almost 1,400 sq ft of living space and is well maintained and well presented.’’ 

Inside, it’s quirky and traditional and includes an oak-floored living room with a stove as well as a tiled kitchen with fitted units, open shelving and a skylight. In the extended area at the rear there is a carpeted dining room while the ground floor also has small utility room/guest WC and a shower room.

The upper floor has two bedrooms with sloping timber panelled ceilings.The cottage has single-glazed windows and an E2 BER which will require updating.

Behind the Coach House, there is a patio garden with raised decking and, at the side, it has a large detached stone-built outbuilding which a new owner could convert or use for a boat. Located close to the start of the Crosshaven-Carrigaline walkway, the property is within a short walk from local shops.

VERDICT: Quaint seaside cottages like this one are always popular

Tower St, Cork City
€290,000
Size	82 sq m (880 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	D1

A little bit different from the average Cork City apartment in the €290,000 price range, No 9 the Tower on Tower St has a glass-walled balcony and an upper floor living area with a vaulted ceiling.

Part of a complex of around 20 duplexes hidden away off Tower St, and within a 10-minute walk from the city centre, it’s a modern 2005-built three-bed duplex with almost 880 sq ft of living space, says Jackie Cohalan of Cohalan Downing auctioneers.

She says the property, which has bedrooms on the lower floor and a modern open-plan living area on the upper level, has previously been a rental, but is now attracting strong first-time buyer interest. “We are getting viewing requests from young couples and singletons – especially from single females looking for a secure property that’s convenient to the city centre.’’ Ground-floor accommodation includes three bedrooms and two shower rooms, while the first floor has an open-plan kitchen/dining/living room with a vaulted ceiling, some timber beams, a modern cream kitchen and a door to the balcony.

Modern with glass balustrades, the tiled 13ft-long balcony offers views of nearby rooftops and of distant hills. It has one parking space inside the gates of the complex.

Ms Cohalan says that the vaulted ceiling gives the property a little character and thinks that with some creative redecoration, an owner-occupier could turn it into a very attractive home.

VERDICT: The glass-walled balcony could prove quite an appealing feature – few apartments currently available in Cork City in this price range seem to have one.

Saleen, Co Cork
€235,000
Size	85 sq m ( 915 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

Young couples in the Midleton area have been beating a path to the door of 36 Woodview Lawn in Saleen. So says Caoimhe O’Connor of CCM Property Network who has seen bidding on the modern well-maintained three-bed semi-detached bungalow go above its €235,000 guide. By the start of this week, it had already reached €270,000 and viewings were continuing.

Located around 6km from Midleton, it’s an attractive 2003-built owner-occupied property. “It’s on a private corner site, is presented in excellent condition and includes most of the contents,” says Ms O’Connor.

VERDICT: Perfect for either a young couple or a downsizer

Pouladuff, Cork
€235,000
Size	70 sq m ( 753 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	E1

Whilst in need of modernisation and updating, No 15 Marie Ville on Pouladuff Road is set to attract buyers with the affordability of its €235,000 guide price and the convenience of its location close to The Lough Wildfowl Reserve – one of the city’s most popular amenities.

“It’s within easy reach of the city centre and close to local transport links, schools, shops, churches, the Lough, UCC and CUH,” say Scott O’Sullivan of Frank V Murphy auctioneers noting that the 1970s built three-bed semi has 753 sq ft of living space and a the large back garden.

VERDICT: An affordable home within a 12-minute walk from The Lough.