Starter Homes: Four Cork properties on the market from €245k

First-time buyers can choose from homes across Cork city, Midleton, Bantry and Rathcormac 

No 17 Hibernian Buildings on Albert Road

Albert Road, Cork City
€270,000
Size	51 sq m (545 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	D2

You can tell from the double glazed sash type front windows, the modern door and the pretty window box that No 17 Hibernian Buildings on Albert Road has had a makeover.

The two-bed gable-fronted mid-terrace Victorian property has according to Glenn O’Connor of DNG Creedon Finn O’Connor been turned into an attractive and cosy home by the owners who bought it in 2019.

"They put in double glazed windows including sash style ones at the front and also put in a new kitchen, new flooring and they redecorated,’’ he says, quoting a guide of €270,000.

Offering just 51 sq metres of living space, it has an oak floored living /dining room with a redbrick chimney breast and a stove. To the rear, there's a kitchen extension with modern units while the upstairs has a bathroom and two bedrooms.

Fitted with electric storage heating and double glazing, the property has a D2 BER. Mr O’Connor says the location close to the Docklands development and the city centre is a key attraction.

Earlier this year No 94, a renovated two-bed mid-terrace sold for €285,000 which seems to be the highest price ever paid for one of the 99 Victorian-built Hibernian Building terraced properties.

Mr O’Connor says that within a day or two of advertising No 17, he booked 30 viewings and is confident that "it will fly".

VERDICT: Small but attractively renovated – it doesn’t have a rent cap so will attract investors as well as first-time buyers.

Midleton, Co Cork
€270,000
Size	64 sq m (690 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	E2

Located within a 15-minute walk from Midleton town centre, No 31 Rosary Place is a well-kept two-bed mid-terrace house with a guide of €270,000.

Susanne Wilkinson of McCarthy McGrath Auctioneers says the upgraded property, which has a modern interior and a long back garden with off-street parking, would make an ideal starter home.

Built in the 1960s, it has 64 sq metres of accommodation including a sitting room and a modern kitchen/diner as well as a bathroom and two bedrooms. Fitted with double glazing and oil-fired heating, it has an E2 BER.

The house has a gravelled front garden and a lawned one with parking at the rear

VERDICT: Affordable, well-kept and close to amenities.

Bantry Co Cork
€245,000
Size	71 sq m (766 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	G

The attractions of Harbour View Cottage near Bantry town centre include its location, its affordable €245,000 guide price and the fact that it’s a detached house with a garden.

“Detached houses with a garden are rare this close to the town centre,’’ says Olivia Hanafin of Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill property explaining that this one has been redecorated and upgraded in recent years.

Its 71 sq metres of accommodation includes a tiled open plan kitchen/dining/living room with fitted units. A split-level house, it has a bathroom and a single bedroom in an extension at a higher level at the rear and also has two bedrooms on the first floor.

A traditional property which probably dates from the1900s, it has been fitted with modern electric radiators and double glazing but has a G BER rating so will need an energy upgrade.

Tucked away behind a terrace of houses on Harbour Road, Harbour View Cottage is accessed by a pedestrian gate situated between the terrace and St Brendan’s primary school. Offering views of the harbour, it has a south-facing gravelled courtyard at the front and an overgrown garden with parking at the rear which Ms Hanafin says has development potential.

Attracting good attention because of its location within minutes’ walk from shops in the town centre, the property has already secured a bid of its guide price.

It’s ideal for downsizers who want to move closer to town and for first-time buyers and we are also getting interest from investors,’’ says Ms Hanafin.

The Property Price Register shows Harbour View Cottage selling for €105,000 in 2022.

VERDICT: Affordable and very central.

Rathcormac, Co Cork
€245,000
Size	87 sq m ( 936 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

A modern three-bed, end-of-terrace house with a guide of €245,000, No 8 The Drive, Riverdale in Rathcormac could tempt a Cork city buyer with its affordability.

“It’s just a 30-minute drive from the city,’’ says John Hornibrook of Colbert & Co auctioneers adding that the 87 sq metre property is very well presented.

The ground floor has a living room with a stove, a kitchen and a wet room while the upstairs has a bathroom and three bedrooms – two doubles and a single.

VERDICT: Good interest is expected.