Starter Homes in Mallow, Drimoleague, Gurranabraher, and Lee Road from €225,000

This semi-detached house is already under offer at its guide price

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026 - 06:00

Trish Dromey

Mallow, Co Cork

Mallow, Co Cork
€275,000
Size	98 sq m (1,063 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	C2

In its first week on show this three-bed semi at 24 Awbeg, River Valley in Mallow attracted 15 sets of viewers and a bid of its €275,000 guide price.

“It’s well presented, has 98 sq metres of living space and is the kind of property that’s always popular with first-time buyers," says Michael Downey of ERA Downey McCarthy explaining that the viewers included couples and single people from Mallow and around North Cork.

Built in 2000, it’s a former rental which has a C2 BER rating. Offering a decent amount of space for a three-three semi, it has a timber-floored sitting room with a bay window at the front a family room at the rear. Alongside this is a kitchen/diner with shaker style grey units and off the hallway, it has a guest WC.

Upstairs there’s a bathroom and three bedrooms including an ensuite one. Outside the property has parking and a garden.

Located at Spa Glen, it’s within two and a half km of Mallow town centre and the train station. “It offers easy access to the N20 road network and is just a 30 minute drive from Cork city," says Mr Downey noting that Mallow is a 25 minute train ride from the city.

The last Awbeg sale was of No 19 which sold for €260,000 in 2025.

VERDICT: A young couple could be happy to find a three-bed semi in this price range.

Drimoleague, Co Cork

Drimoleague, Co Cork
€298,000
Size	170sq m (1,830ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	2
BER	D1

A young house-hunting couple willing to consider options other than a standard apartment or three-bedroom house might want to check out this former pub in the West Cork village of Drimoleague.

A very sizable five-bedroom property with a huge garden at the rear is on the market with auctioneer Martin Kelleher, who believes the €298,000 guide price offers very good value for money.

Situated on Main St, it hasn’t operated as a pub for more than 10 years but still has its original mouldings at the front. Mr Kelleher says the 1900s-built terraced property was converted and modernised by previous owners who fitted oil-fired heating and double glazing.

“The current owner, who used it as a rental, had also done some further renovations,” he reveals, adding that the contents are included in the sale.

The main room, the space where locals once came to enjoy pints and chat, is now a long sitting room/TV room with a fireplace and patio doors. The 170 sq m of living space on offer includes an en suite ground-floor bedroom, as well as a kitchen/diner with cream units located at the rear.

A staircase off the kitchen leads to the upper level which has a bathroom, a study, and four bedrooms — including a spacious one used as a second living room.

There is a garage at the side and a large back garden, which Mr Kelleher estimates is around 30m long: “The property offers great space for a buyer looking for a family home but could also be bought as an investment.”

VERDICT: A sizable option for buyer thinking of buying a little differently.

Gurranabraher, Cork city

Gurranabraher, Cork city
€225,000
Size	65 sq m (700 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	E1

Located around 1.5km from Cork city centre, No.7 St Mary’s Place in Gurranabraher is a well-kept two-bed mid-terrace house with a guide of €225,000.

Katie Fennessy, of Sherry FitzGerald, says the property provides an excellent canvas for first-time buyers to put their own stamp on. Accommodation includes a sitting room, a kitchen/diner, and a ground-floor bathroom, as well as two bedrooms.

The home, which dates from the 1950s, has a lawn at the front and low-maintenance garden at the rear.

VERDICT: One of a very small number of properties available in the city at this price level.

Lee Road, Cork

Lee Road, Cork
€290,000
Size	67 sq m (721 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	B3

Employees of University College Cork and Cork University Hospital are among those coming to view this first-floor apartment at 11 Lee Vista, Lee Rd.

That’s according to Sherry FitzGerald’s Katie Fennessy, who has secured a bid of the €290,000 guide: “It’s very well maintained and would be perfect for either a first-time buyer or a downsizer.”

The apartment has an open-plan kitchen/dining/living area with a balcony — as well as a bathroom and two bedrooms, one en suite.