Starter homes in Killeagh, Aherla, Blackpool, and Turner's Cross from €150,000

A detached home, an end-of-terrace house, a first-floor apartment, and a one-bed mews style home

Clockwise from upper left: No 178 Killeagh Gardens, Killeagh, Co Cork; 16 Orchard Lane Aherla, Co. Cork; 5A Mount Pleasant Rd Turners Cross, Cork; 107 Brideholm Commons Rd, Blackpool, Cork

Killeagh, Co Cork
€345,000
Size	110sq m (1,184sq ft)
Bedrooms	3/4
Bathrooms	3
BER	C

Detached and modern with 110sq m of living space, No 178 Killeagh Gardens in Killeagh offers exceptionally good value for €345,000.

So says James Colbert, of Colbert Estates, pointing out that similar-sized detached houses in Midleton would cost in excess of €400,000.

“It’s bright and spacious and has been exceptionally well maintained by its owners,” he says, and the three-bed house has a ground-floor room that could be used as either a fourth bedroom or a study.

At the front is a living room with a solid-fuel stove and at the rear an L-shaped kitchen/diner with white, modern units and red glass splashbacks.

To the side, there’s a guest WC and a study/bedroom, while the upstairs has a bathroom and three bedrooms, including one with mirrored sliding wardrobes and an en suite.

The property has a garden with a parking space at the front and an enclosed patio at the rear. Part of a 2007-built development that was designed with energy efficiency in mind and fitted with solar panels to heat the water, it has a C energy rating.

Located within walking distance of local shops, Killeagh Gardens is 14km from Midleton.

VERDICT: Attractive to a buyer looking for a home within a 15-minute drive of the East Cork coast.

Aherla, Co Cork
€335,000
Size	106sq m (1,140sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	B

This modern, move-in-ready three-bed house at 16 Orchard Lane in Aherla has an unexpected feature — a full-sized bathroom cleverly fitted in beneath the stairs. “It’s the only property I’ve ever come across with a full bathroom under the stairs and it makes very good use of the available space,” says John O’Mahony of OM2 auctioneers.

He’s seeking offers of €335,000 for the end-of-terrace house which is within walking distance of Aherla village and a 20-minute drive from Wilton. It’s expected to appeal to people working in the western suburbs of the city, in Ballincollig, or at Dell in Ovens.

Built in the early 2000s, it’s one of only a small number of houses in the terrace to have a sun room and has 106 sq m of living space. “It’s owner-occupied, in excellent decorative order and has an attractive patio garden at the rear,” says Mr O’Mahony, noting that it has a B energy rating.

At the front, the house has a modern sitting room with a stove and, at the rear, a kitchen/diner with cream fitted units and walls painted a cheerful shade of sunshine yellow. Double doors at the rear open into a sunroom.

In addition to the understairs bathroom there’s a first-floor shower room as well as three bedrooms.

At the rear is an easy-to-keep limestone paved garden with flower beds and a shed.

Orchard Lane is a 37-unit development comprising a mix of terraced houses and large detached ones.

The only recent sale there was of No 24, a five-bed house which sold for €650,000 last year.

VERDICT: Has everything a first-time-buyer could ask

Blackpool, Cork
€265,000
Size	68 sq m (731 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	B

A two-bed, first-floor apartment for €265,000, No 107 Brideholm on Commons Rd could be an attractive, affordable option for a young couple.

It’s been owner-occupied, is well kept, and has an enclosed balcony with garden views, says Katie Fennessy, of Sherry FitzGerald. It’s in a gated development, has parking, and is close to Blackpool shopping centre. Accommodation includes a living/dining room with access to the balcony, a kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, one en suite.

VERDICT: There’s not a lot in this price range that’s move-in ready.

Turners Cross, Cork
€150,000
Size	21 sq m (226 sq ft)
Bedrooms	1
Bathrooms	1
BER	D

Possibly the smallest property on the market in Cork City and definitely one of the most affordable, No 5A Mount Pleasant Rd in Turners Cross is a one-bed house with a guide of €150,000.

“It’s a single-storey mews-style property which was built onto the side of a detached house 23 years ago and includes a parking space and back patio,” says auctioneer Timothy Sullivan, explaining the home has a living room/kitchen, bedroom, and a bathroom. He says owing to its affordable guide and popular location, it has been attracting attention.

VERDICT: Option for a buyer tired of paying rent.