Starter Homes: Four Cork homes for less than €300k

Homes for first-time buyers to consider in Glanmire, Midleton, Douglas and Kinsale 

Glanmire, Co Cork
€225,000
Size	60 sq m ( 650 sq ft)
Bedrooms
Bathrooms	1
BER	D2

Probably the only one-bed detached bungalow which is available anywhere near Cork City, No 5 Glen Mervyn in Glanmire could make a house hunter very happy this Christmas.

Guiding at €225,000, it’s a modern, well-maintained property located in a tiny development in a wooded area near Glanmire village — a little over 6km from the city centre.

Auctioneer Will Lyons of ERA Downey McCarthy says the size and price make it perfect for first-time buyers while downsizers will appreciate the fact that it’s a single-storey detached property.

It has an open-plan kitchen/dining/living room with cream gloss units, a skylight and a set of double doors. There’s also a bathroom and a bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe and double doors opening at the front.

There’s woodland at the rear of the property and at the front, a small patio and a private parking area with space for two cars.

Glen Mervyn is a 2008-built development of six properties which consists of four apartments and two bungalows constructed on the grounds of the period residence Glen Mervyn House. Access is through a castellated gateway.

The property is within a few minutes’ walk from local shops and is 2km both from an Aldi in Riverstown and from the Dunkettle Interchange.

VERDICT: You could probably buy a one-bed apartment for this price, but some buyers might much prefer to have a detached little bungalow of their own.

Kinsale, Co Cork
€250,000
Size	70sq m (760 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	D1

The €250,000 guide price on 7 Collins Terrace on Eastern Road makes it the most affordable house currently available in Kinsale — a town famous not only for its gourmet restaurants but also for its high-priced property.

The two-bed mid-terrace house has more to attract buyers than its affordability since it’s been extensively renovated and refurbished in recent years.

Previous owners put on an extension with high-gloss cream units and the current ones reorganised the ground floor, upgraded the bathroom, put down new flooring, and redecorated, says Sinead Sinnott of Sheehy Brothers Estate Agents.

The 1930s-built slate-fronted property, now has 750 sq ft of living space. The downstairs accommodation includes a porcelain-tiled kitchen living dining room with a stove, modern creams units, and a skylight. At the rear there’s a tiled bathroom with a corner shower and, at the front, a small den/study with an original cast-iron fireplace. The upper floor has two laminate-floored bedrooms including one at the front with a cast-iron fireplace.

The owners have also done work in the small back garden which has a shed and a small decked areas as well as a parking space, accessed from Barracks Lane. Ms Sinnott says it’s one of the few properties in the terrace which has parking.

Situated in a terrace of four, the property is located within a five-minute walk from shops and restaurants.

VERDICT: Seems like a good opportunity for a young couple to get a foot on the property ladder in a town where properties at this price level are scarce.

Midleton, Co Cork
€190,000
Size	69 sq m ( 740 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	C3

For a young couple who have resolved to own rather than rent their home in 2023, Apartment 1 at Cois Na hAbhann on Bailick Road in Midleton could be an inexpensive option.

Guiding at €190,000, it’s a modern, two-bed ground floor apartment with views of the Owenacurra Estuary. Accommodation includes a kitchen, a sitting room at the rear, a bathroom and two bedrooms (one en suite).

Shay Cronin of Cronin Wall auctioneers says the apartment is conveniently located within a five-minute walk from the town centre and is in excellent condition.

VERDICT: The river views are an added bonus with this affordable, modern apartment.

Douglas, Cork city
€280,000
Size	66 sq m ( 710 sq ft)
Bedrooms
Bathrooms	1
BER	C3

The key selling points for 9 Bellair Close in Bellaire Estate include its Douglas address and the fact that the two-bed apartment is located within walking distance of the city centre.

Situated in a development of gated apartment complex built in the early 2000s, the 60 sq m property is listed with Cohalan Downing auctioneers who are seeking offers of €280,000.

Accommodation includes a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and two bedrooms and it has a yard at the rear.

Auctioneer Malcolm Tyrell says it’s a modern apartment which could suit a first-time buyer or a downsizer.

VERDICT: The location within a 20 minute walk from the city centre is very convenient.