Don't bypass Macroom's €140k ‘Cheap Irish Home’ prospect — and take advantage of renovation grants too

Macroom home off new bypass is "a ringer"  for popular TV show's successful 'cheap'  buy pairing of house and buyers  last year near Bantry

LOOKING like it came straight out of the TV screen’s Cheap Irish Homes, and for sale with good ‘incentive’ timing perhaps, is this attractive, traditional Irish roadside home at a mid-Cork spot called Lissacreasig.

Great prospects for vacant country-set Lissacreasig home near new €280m bypass

Given it’s old, and hasn’t been lived in for a period, it might qualify for recently introduced Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, which can yield up to €30K, says estate agent Ellen O’Sullivan of OM2 Auctioneers, who quotes an AMV of €140,000 for the well-sized (136 sq m/1,450 sq ft) do-er up, with inbuilt charm.

“It’s a great opportunity, at an affordable price,” says Ms O’Sullivan of the property, in a quiet setting, with expansive rural views to the south.

Pure character

Then, location-wise, not only is the c 100-year old house just off the main and ‘old’ N22 Cork-Kerry road by Coolavokig and the long-established pottery there, but it’s now going to be one km north of the new €280m Macroom bypass’ second phase section, part of 22km key route bypassing Macroom, Ballyvourney, Ballymakeera, and some notorious bad bend stretches of yore.

A section of the new Macroom bypass looking West of Macroom near the new roundabout at Carrigaphooca. Picture Dan Linehan

The first 8km section opened just prior to Christmas, the second longer section is ‘on track’ within the next year/early 2024, and apart from being a ‘super highway’ to Lissacreasig and its ilk, will be utterly transformative for motorists doing the Cork/Killarney run.

Macroom town centre is already breathing more easily since its miles-long peak times tailbacks have become a thing of the past.

Pretty in pink

Redolent of the past, too, is this semi-detached traditional, long, low two-storey farmhouse, set by a bend on a quiet country road to one side, and with a farmyard and another dwelling off on the other side.

In itself, it’s on half an acre, so there’s a nice bit of ground going with it in any case.

It’s already quite a good size at over 1,400 sq ft, with entrance porch with very attractive part-glazed door with coloured glass insets, original painted pine internal doors, main rooms at ground have a dual aspect, there are fireplaces, some central heating has been installed in the past, and original windows were replaced too, but the BER’s still a G.

Views south from the property listed with Ellen o'Sullivan of  OM2

It has two good reception rooms at ground, kitchen, bathroom, and three first floor bedrooms, off a lovely landing with extensive timber sheeting to the ceilings, and feature, exposed beams.

While the panelling is itself a feature, it’s also notably worked around the three apex shaped windows on the first floor, where the larger bedroom has two of these perky windows.

Auctioneer with OM2 Ms O’Sullivan say it now needs renovations and upgrades, but she expects the possibility of renovation grants under the derelict homes scheme, plus energy upgrade grants under SSEI schemes, to be a boon to buyers — as well as the improved access coming right down the line, down the road to the south.

VERDICT: It really is straight out of Cheap Irish Homes: you could expect presenters Kieran McCarthy and Maggie Molloy to rock up at the door any minute.

And, as it transpires, what’s possibly the first successful linking up of a home hunter and a ’cheap’ Irish home in a concluded sale took place in the 2022 series, when a semi-detached house not at all unlike this one found a happy buyer, in West Cork.