Starter Homes: Four Cork properties for €275,000 or less

Homes for first-time buyers to consider from Turners Cross, Carrigtwohill, Midleton and Innishannon.

18 Blueberry Fields Broomfield Midleton

Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
€225,000
Size	72 sq m (775 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C1

Affordable, modern, and well-maintained, No 15 The Willows, Fota Rock in Carrigtwohill is new to the market with a guide of €225,000.

Built in 2003, it is a two-bed mid-terrace house with 72 sq metres of living space and a C1 BER. It has a living room, a guest WC and a kitchen-dining room at ground level, while upstairs there are two bedrooms.

Kevin O’Sullivan of Barry Auctioneers & Valuers says it would make an excellent starter home for employees of local biotech and pharmaceutical companies such as GE Healthcare, Gilead and Stryker. 

“It’s within a short walk from local shops and amenities and within a short commute from Cork City,” he adds.

VERDICT: Expected to go fast.

Midleton, Co. Cork
€275,000
Size	100 sq m (1,076 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	B3

Smart, stylish, and energy efficient, No 18 Blueberry Fields at Broomfield in Midleton has much that a first-time buyer could hope for, including an affordable guide price of €275,000.

The owners have put considerable effort into upgrading their early-2000s build mid-terrace three-bed home. “It’s been fitted with triple-glazed windows, a 10kW stove, a contemporary cream kitchen and has been tastefully decorated,” says Shay Cronin of Cronin Wall auctioneers, noting that the owners did some structural rearrangement at ground level to increase their comfort levels.

A 100 sq m property, it has a living/dining room with a stove and timber-effect tiled flooring at the front and an L-shaped kitchen-diner with modern units and integrated appliances at the rear.

The ground floor has a guest WC and a small utility space while the first floor has a bathroom and three bedrooms including one with an en suite and one with a custom-built bunkbed.

During renovations the owners replaced many standard features, fitting vertical radiators at ground level, a Palladio front door, a composite back door, and, in the garden, a covered patio. With triple glazing and a stove, the BER has been upgraded to a B3.

“It’s a fantastic property in a popular residential area, within walking distance from supermarkets, shops, the train station, and schools. The N25 is also within easy reach offering a quick commute to Cork city,” says Mr Cronin.

VERDICT: Could look very attractive to both young couples and downsizers.

Innishannon, Co. Cork
€115,000
Size	32 sq m (345 sq ft)
Bedrooms	1
Bathrooms	2
BER	G

Dinky, with a floor area of just 32 sq m, No Brookside 6 in Innishannon is a one-bed mid-terrace house with a highly affordable guide price of €115,000. 

Selling agents Bowe Auctioneers say it’s well maintained, and well located — close to amenities and would make an ideal starter or investment property.

Accommodation includes a lounge, a small kitchen in a lean-to section, as well as a bedroom and a bathroom upstairs. Built in the 1970s, it has a low G BER.

VERDICT: Habitable properties in this price range are scarce — even small ones.

Turner's Cross, Co. Cork
€275,000
Size	70 sq m (754 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	E2

The owners of 15 St Joseph’s Terrace on Derrynane Road in Turners Cross have equipped their three-bed 1950s-built terraced home with some of essentials for modern living, including an upgraded modern kitchen and a home office in the garden.

Quoting a guide of €275,000, Mark Gosling of Behan, Irwin & Gosling says that other renovations carried out in recent years have included putting in new bathroom fittings, flooring and bedroom wardrobes. It’s now well-maintained and modern, although a new owner will almost certainly want to improve the E2 BER.

Accommodation in the 70 sq m property includes a front living room with alcove units and an attractive slate and cast-iron fireplace. At the rear, there’s a kitchen with cream high-gloss units, integrated appliances and a built-in breakfast bar. Off the kitchen is a small utility room with a door to the garden.

The first floor has a shower room and three bedrooms including one with an original cast-iron fireplace and a smaller one which has been fitted out as an office-cum-dressing room.

At the front there’s a gravelled area with space for two cars and, at the rear, a lawned south-facing garden with two steel tech sheds: the 3x3 m one at the bottom seems to serve both as a home office and a home bar.

The Turners Cross location along with the affordable guide price is expected to attract first-buyers. It’s within a five minute-walk from Turners Cross church and a 20-minute one from the South Mall in the centre of the city.

VERDICT: Interest levels are expected to be high.