Starter Homes: Four Cork homes — in Douglas, Carrigaline, Ovens, and Lee Road

A bungalow, a semi-d, a mid-terraced house, and an apartment in Cork — starting from €220,000

Top left: 2 Cedarwood Road, Waterpark, in Carrigaline; Top right: 3 Grange Glen, Grange Manor in Ovens; Lower right: 211 Atkins Hall on the Lee Road; Lower left: 30 Delfern Grove, Maryborough, Cork

Delfern Grove on Maryborough Hill offers a good opportunity to get on the property ladder

Maryborough, Douglas, Cork
€350,000
Size	91sq m (980sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	D1

A house-hunting couple looking for a property in Douglas may want to book a viewing at Maryborough Hill’s 30 Delfern Grove.

“The guide price of €350,000 will suit a first-time buyer and the location in Maryborough is very popular,” says Der O’Riordan, of Barry Auctioneers, explaining that the 1990s house is in need of modernisation.

Its 91sq m of space includes a carpeted sitting room connected by an archway to a timber-floored living room at the rear. There’s a narrow kitchen, a utility space, and a guest WC. The house has three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, as well as an attic room with a Velux window.

Fitted with double glazing and gas heating, the property has a D1 BER. A buyer will want to put in a new kitchen and bathroom, improve the energy rating, and redecorate. Some owners in the estate have used the patio for a kitchen extension.

Located in a mature cul de sac, Delfern Grove is 2km from Douglas village. The most recent sale in the estate was No 26, which sold for €365,000 last year. Back in 2022, No 3, a significantly extended semi-d, sold for €485,000.
VERDICT: Needs work, but the mature, Douglas location makes it very attractive.

A revamp is on the cards for this 1970s home

Carrigaline, Co Cork
€320,000
Size	72 sq m (775 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	D1

Down-sizers are expected to dominate at the three open viewings scheduled for this three-bed bungalow at 2 Cedarwood Road, Waterpark, in Carrigaline.

“Down-sizers love bungalows, but bungalows are in very short supply — none of the newly built developments in Carrigaline, or anywhere else, include bungalows,” says Barry Nagle, of Global Properties, who thinks it highly likely that the 1970s detached house will be bought by someone looking for a single-storey home.

“The €320,000 guide price may also suit a first-time buyer — but down-sizers prefer bungalows and they have deeper pockets,” he says.

One of a number of similar-style detached bungalows built alongside two-storey houses, it’s well-kept, but in need of modernisation. Offering 72sq m of living space, it has a long, timber-floored living/dining room at the front with a fireplace and a large front window. There’s a kitchen with fitted units, as well as a bathroom and three bedrooms.

The bungalow has a parking space at the front and a good-sized, enclosed garden at the rear, which is in need of tending. The layout is unchanged since the 1970s, so the property is due for a revamp. A new owner will want to improve the D1 BER and modernise the kitchen and bathroom and may consider rearranging the space.

The property’s location, as well as its height, will also appeal to a down-sizer, since it is just over a 15-minute walk from shops in the town centre. Scheduling three open viewings, Mr Nagle expects a high level of interest.

VERDICT: Ideal for a bungalow-hunting down-sizer.

Affordable and ready to live in mid-terrace in Ovens

Ovens, Co Cork
€295,000
Size	61 sq m (657 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

Unsurprisingly, bidding on this two-bed mid terrace house at 3 Grange Glen, Grange Manor in Ovens has already gone above its €295,000 guide.

“It’s a lovely property and is in very good condition,” says Linda O’Donovan of Bowe Property, the selling agent for the 2005-built home, which is 5km from Ballincollig and 10km from Bishopstown.

At the front there’s a kitchen with modern units; and, at the rear, a tiled living room with a fireplace. There is a guest WC in the hall and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor.

VERDICT: Affordable and ready to live in, it could go quickly.

Two-bed apartment at 19th-century Atkins Hall on Cork's Lee Road

Lee Road, Cork
€220,000
Size	65 sq m (670 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C2

A first-floor apartment at 211 Atkins Hall on the Lee Road is one of the most affordable market arrivals in the Cork city area in recent weeks.

A two-bed property at the back of the 19th-century building, it’s an ex-rental which Samantha Rowden of Behan Irwin & Gosling expects to show to both first-time buyers and investors.

Accommodation includes an open plan kitchen /living area with three tall windows as well as a bathroom and two bedrooms.

VERDICT: The location — within a 30 minute walk from UCC — is key.