Starter Homes: Four Cork properties on the market starting at €150,000

Buyers can choose from a permanent move or holiday home option that awaits at Sherkin, writes Trish Dromey

Sherkin, Co. Cork
€295,000
Size	92 sq m (990 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

The purchaser of this semi-detached property on Sherkin could choose to become a permanent West Cork islander or perhaps to swell the number of the holiday home owners who spend their summers on the picture postcard island.

Seeking offers of €295,000 Sean Carmody of Charles McCarthy auctioneers, says the 1990s-built three-bed house at Farranacoush (left hand side of pic, above) is modern, well-maintained, and scenic. “You can see across to Roaring Water Bay in the distance,” he says, noting that the large windows in the sitting room have the best views.

Located within walking distance of a local pier, the property is just over 1km from the island’s only pub, 1.7km from the ferry, and 3.5km from Silver Strand.

It’s a little unusual in that it shares a site with the adjoining house, has a shared garden at one side, and shared parking at the other.

Inside the 92 sq m property there’s an open-plan living/dining room which has a fireplace with a stove. At the rear, there’s a kitchen and a WC. A spiral staircase in the living area leads to the first floor which has three bedrooms and a bathroom.

Mr Carmody says that opportunities to buy there are quite rare. “It’s just 20 minutes by ferry from Baltimore and the ferry runs throughout the year,” he adds.

VERDICT: A scenic island getaway.

Boreenmanna Road, Cork
€295,000
Size	91 sq m (980 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	G

Cork city centre is a 20-minute walk from this semi-detached home at No 2 Beechgrove, Boreenmanna Road.

Listing it with a guide of €295,000, Michael Downey of ERA Downey McCarthy says the location, close to schools and amenities, makes it very attractive to young couples looking for a first home.

Built in the 1930s, it has an G energy rating and needs renovation and modernisation but could, he believes, be turned into a fine family home.

Accommodation includes a kitchen/diner, a living room, three bedrooms, and a bathroom and there is garden space at front and rear.

Verdict: Needs work, but the location is a positive.

Dominick St, Cork city
€150,000
Size	69 sq m (750 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	G

Situated in the heart of Cork city’s Shandon where extensive regeneration is being planned, No 5 Hill Lane, off Dominick Street, offers a relatively inexpensive opportunity for a buyer to carry out some residential regeneration themselves.

An end of terrace property in a row of five houses dating from the 1870s, it is situated within a few minutes’ walk from The Butter Exchange and the craft centre which have been earmarked for redevelopment.

“Cork City Council has greenlit plans for the redevelopment of the landmark building with the proposed redevelopment set to include co-working office units and meeting rooms as well as a technology hub and enterprise centre in the craft centre,” says auctioneer Riona Coleman of O’Connor Murphy auctioneers.

Ms Coleman says a lot of new apartments are being built on Dominick St and this property is ripe for redevelopment. Located in a pedestrian laneway which has a gateway which is closed at night, it has an AMV of €150,000 and is set to be auctioned online on November 23 on youbid.ie.

In need of complete renovation, it has 69 sq metres of living space and a G energy rating. It has been in the current owner’s family for several decades and was once home to a family of nine.

Downstairs there’s a living room with a fireplace, a kitchen, and a bedroom while the first floor has a bathroom and two small bedrooms.

“It’s in a very central location within a 10-minute walk from Cork Opera House and city amenities,” says Ms Coleman who thinks it may appeal to an investor as it is not subject to a rent cap.

VERDICT: Affordable but needs extensive renovation.

Cobh, Co. Cork
€250,000
Size	100 sq m (1,076 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	1
BER	F

This mid-terrace property at 2 Aileen Terrace in Cobh needs modernisation but auctioneer Johanna Murphy believes that a new owner could apply for both a vacant home grant and energy upgrade one.

Dating from the 1900s it has 100 sq m of living space including a kitchen/diner, a sitting room, a bathroom and four bedrooms, one downstairs and three upstairs.