Starter Homes: Compact, coastal Cork chalet for €135,000 has plenty of seaside charm

Homes for first-time buyers to consider in Crosshaven, Grange, Midleton and Carrigtwohill

Rainbow Cottage, Fennell's Bay, Crosshaven, Co. Cork

Mon, 20 Jun, 2022 - 11:12

Trish Dromey

Fennell’s Bay, Co Cork
€135,000
Size	28 sq m ( 307 sq ft)
Bedrooms	1
Bathrooms	1
BER	D2

Although it has only 307 sq ft of space, this little hideaway property has an extremely reasonable guide price, says Trish Dromey The €135,000 guide price of Rainbow Cottage in Fennell’s Bay possibly makes it the most inexpensive seaside holiday home currently available in Cork.

Cute but tiny, it’s a one-bed property with just 307 sq ft of living space, which is perched on a hillside above Fennell’s Bay offering views across Cork’s outer harbour. From the cottage it’s just a 15-minute walk to the popular sandy beach at Myrtleville and also to Fennell’s Bay beach.

Selling agent Michael Pigott says the flat-roofed block-built chalet was completely rebuilt in the early 2000s.

“It has PVC double glazing; electric storage heating, a spotless modern interior, and a D2 BER.’’ Accommodation includes a timber-floored kitchen/dining living space with modern kitchen units and large windows and there’s also an en suite bedroom. Situated in a cul de sac above Fennel’s Bay, the property is accessed via a set of steps at the rear and has a patio garden with sea views at the front.

Located 2.5km from Crosshaven, Rainbow Cottage is almost 9km from Carrigaline.

Mr Pigott says that because of its coastal location, sea views and affordable guide price the property has been attracting a lot of attention.

“It’s now a holiday home and most of the calls we are getting are from holiday home buyers but it could be viewed as a trading down option”

VERDICT: As inexpensive, cute, compact coastal property as you are likely to find.

Midleton, Co Cork
€295,000
Size	108 sq m ( 11,63 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

Fitted with solar panels on the roof and a sizable extension at the rear, No 19 Roches Terrace in Midleton is larger, more energy efficient, and a lot more modern than it used to be.

The 1950s-built mid-terrace house has, in recent years, been given a comprehensive makeover by current owners who extended the living space to over 1,160 sq ft and brought the BER up to a C1 with attic insulation and solar panels.

The property, which now has four bedrooms, including an ensuite one on the ground floor, is on the market with Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan which is guiding it at €295,000.

It says it’s a spacious, ready-to-go home which has been tastefully upgraded and modernised.

“It’s also conveniently located within minutes of the town centre and the railway station,” adds auctioneer Ed O’Donovan.

While reorganising the layout, the owners created a large modern living/dining space with a quirky stone fireplace fitted with a stove. In the extension at the rear they have added on a kitchen with white high-gloss units and a breakfast counter as well as an en suite master bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, mirrored Sliderobes, and patio doors.

Off the hallway, at the front the house, is a bathroom while the upper floor has three bedrooms.

Out front, the owners knocked a wall and opened up the garden to create a printed concrete driveway with two parking spaces and, at the rear, they put in a Steeltech shed and a courtyard area for sitting out.

VERDICT: The price will appeal to first time buyers while the ground floor en suite bedroom could well attract downsizers too.

Grange, Cork City
€295,000
Size	113 sq m (1,216 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	D1

EXTENDED both at the side and at the rear, No 41 Glenside, Pinecroft in Grange is now quite a bit more spacious than the average three-bed semi.

Guiding at €295,000, the 1980s-built house now has 1,216 sq ft of accommodation, including a side extension with an office and a WC as well as a modern kitchen extension at the rear.

Auctioneer Jeremy Murphy says that it is very well maintained and is also well located within easy reach of Douglas village.

Accommodation includes two living rooms, a kitchen, a guest WC and an office as well as bathroom and three bedrooms.

VERDICT: First-time buyers will appreciate the space

Carrigtwohill, Co Cork
€240,000
Size	113 sq m (1,216 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	C1

Cork City buyers in search of an affordable first home could consider this three-bed mid-terrace house, No 34 Oakbrook in Castlelake.

It is new to the market with a guide of €240,000. Selling agents Cronin Wall Properties say the 2006-built 1,213 sq ft three-storey house is both attractively presented and spacious.

At ground level, there’s a guest WC and open-plan kitchen/dining living area while the upper levels have three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Outside, there’s a patio garden.