Starter Homes: Four Cork properties starting at €165,000

First-time buyers can choose from homes across Cobh, West Cork, Blackpool and Blackrock, writes Trish Dromey

Fuchsia Cottage, Kilbarry, West Dunmanway

Cobh, Co Cork
€340,000
Size	80 sq m (851 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	Pending

The transformation of 5 Roches Terrace in Cobh — from a run-down wreck to a stylish contemporary home — seems a little short of miraculous.

The upper floor of the mid-terrace property, which was once taken up by two drab bedrooms, has now become a bright modern kitchen/dining/living room with stylish quartz-topped grey kitchen units and a vaulted ceiling with roof lights.

The house has newly fitted tilt-and-turn windows which at the front offer views across nearby rooftops to Cobh Harbour. Outside the kitchen, at the rear, the owners have added on a decked and railed steel galvanised balcony which backs onto the old stone wall of the Benedictine Priory.

At downstairs level, there are two attractive bedrooms fitted with original period fireplaces, which used to be upstairs, as well as a modern bathroom and a utility room. The repainted facade has been fitted with a new composite door, while the small yard at the rear has also been revamped.

Quoting a guide of €340,000, Liz Hannon of English Auctioneers & Valuers, who sold it to the owners two years ago, says the transformation is astonishing.

“And in addition to being renovated and redecorated it’s been fitted with a stove and an air-to-water heat pump so is expected to achieve a high BER,” she adds.

Located on a hill above Cobh, it’s a 10-minute walk from shops and a 15-minute one from the train station.

VERDICT: Shows what you can do when you turn a run-down wreck upside down.

Dunmanway, West Cork
€240,000
Size	76 sq m (820 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	G

The flower-filled gardens of Fuchsia Cottage at Killbarry West near Dunmanway have put on a very colourful display for first viewings.

Renovated 20 years ago by an East Coast couple who used it as a holiday home, the cottage is pretty but the gardens — planted with fuchsia, pink roses, foxgloves and rhododendrons as well as a multitude of flowers yet to bloom — are the scene stealers.

Although many holiday homeowners don’t bother too much with gardening this is clearly not the case with this property which has gravel paths, garden ornaments, stone walls, patios and a diverse variety of trees and plants on its 1.2-acre site.

“From the gardens and the cottage you have scenic views of the surrounding fields and countryside and across the valley to Nowle Hill. It’s also getting a lot of interest from local first-time buyers,” reveals auctioneer Daniel Lehane who is seeking offers of €240,000.

Prettily painted, the property has cream walls at the front with a blue door and windows while the outside of the single-storey extension at the rear has been painted brightly in fuchsia pink. Inside there’s a kitchen with modern grey units, a living-dining room, a bathroom as well as a ground-floor bedroom. A staircase in the kitchen leads to the upstairs which has two bedrooms.

While Fuchsia Cottage is well maintained and pretty, it has a G BER rating so will need an energy upgrade Located at Kilbarry Road, five km from Dunmanway, it is 25 km from Bantry. “It’s extremely attractive as a holiday home and we are also getting a few enquiries from,” says Mr Lehane.

VERDICT: Pretty and colourful it gets a lot of attention.

Blackpool, Cork city
€165,000
Size	60 sq m (650 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	D2

The attractions of 39 Commons Road in Blackpool include an affordable guide of €165,000 and a prettily upgraded pink facade with triple glazing and a new composite door.

Selling agents AML Properties say the two-bed property was bought in 2020 by current owners who have done some redecoration and upgrading and also replaced a section of the roof.

VERDICT: Affordable as a starter home but might attract investors since it doesn’t have a rent cap.

Blackrock Road, Cork city
€220,000
Size	78 sq m (840 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	F

Despite the fact that it requires a complete overhaul, this three-bed, end-of-terrace property at 2 Shamrock Place is attracting attention because of the popularity of its Blackrock Road location.

Seeking offers of €220,000, Timothy Sullivan auctioneers say it will suit someone who doesn’t mind taking on a project and has already had a few viewings with people looking to downsize in the area. Offering 78 sq m of living space and yard at the rear, it doesn’t have off-street parking but is near a bus stop.

VERDICT: Has good potential for the right buyer.