Starter homes in Albert Quay, Aghada, Passage West, Douglas from €285k 

The Albert Quay home is a distinctive and historic home at Hibernian Buildings

Clockwise from upper left: 2 Hibernian Buildings, Albert Road, Blackrock, Co. Cork; 10 Siddons Court, Aghada, Co. Cork; 16 Mariners Quay, Passage West, Co. Cork; 44 Greenhills Court, Douglas, Cork.

Albert Quay, Cork City
€285,000
Size	51sq m (550sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C2

Few Cork city centre properties are as distinctive as the artisan dwellings at Hibernian Buildings on Albert Rd, which have Flemish-bond redbrick exteriors and diamond-shaped terracotta features above their doors and windows.

Built for dockland workers in the 1870s, the properties have been experiencing regeneration following the setting up of office blocks at One Albert Quay and Navigation Square. “The convenience of the Albert Rd/Albert Quay location is a big draw for city employees,” says John Corbett, of Cohalan Downing, who recently listed No 2 Hibernian Buildings, a two-bed mid-terrace house. “We’ve had huge interest and already booked 25 viewings, many with first-time buyers, but we are also getting investor interest as the property doesn’t have a rent cap.”

The current owners carried out significant renovations in 2017. “They redecorated and upgraded the wiring, plumbing, and heating,” says Mr Corbett.

Compact, with just 51sq m of living space, it has an open-plan kitchen/living room with timber flooring and white fitted units. To the rear, there’s a bathroom and small utility area, while the first floor has two bedrooms. At the rear, the property has a small yard with whitewashed walls. The guide price is €285,000

VERDICT: Small but affordable and very central.

Aghada, Co Cork
€295,000
Size	84sq m (904sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	B

From the front garden of 10 Siddons Court in Aghada, you have a side view of the eastern shore of Cork harbour.

Proximity to a shoreline promenade called the People’s Path — just an five-minute walk away — could make this 2002-built mid-terrace house attractive to a downsizer with a yearning for a coastal lifestyle.

However, the three-bedroom property, with an AMV of €295k, is almost certainly going to appeal to first-time-buyers working in Midleton or possibly in Cork City.

“It’s modern, well maintained, and has 84sq m of living space and a B energy rating,” says Kyle Kennedy of Kennedy Estate Agents explaining that the BER makes the property eligible for a ‘green mortgage’.

Inside the front-bay window is a carpeted sitting room with a fireplace and double doors opening into a kitchen/diner. Off the kitchen is a small utility; and off the hallway is a guest WC.

The upper floor has a bathroom and three bedrooms including one en suite. The property has an enclosed garden at the rear and an open-plan one at the front. The six houses in the terrace share a communal parking area. Local amenities include a shop, a school, a playground; and Rosie’s pub which is within a three-minute walk.

“Midleton is within an 11-minute drive and you have a choice of nearby beaches,” says Mr Kennedy.

Recently No 18 — a larger thee-bedroom mid terrace — sold for €385,000; in 2023, No 9 — this property’s end-of-terrace next-door neighbour — sold for €340,000.

VERDICT: Modern, with a good energy rating — it has coastal appeal.

Passage West, Cork
€295,000
Size	66 sq m  (710 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	B

Balcony views could prove a key selling point for this €295k, 66 sq m second-floor apartment at 16 Mariners Quay in Passage West.

“It has two balconies with views across the marina and the harbour, one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom,” says Niamh Smith, of Absolute Property.

An ex-rental, it has a kitchen/dining/living space, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, one en suite.

“It’s well kept and is in a secure, gated complex with a parking space,” added Ms Smith.

VERDICT: An affordable waterfront property.

Douglas, Cork
€295,000
Size	82 sq m (861 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	C3

One of the more affordable properties on the market in Douglas, No 44 Greenhills Court, is a three-bed mid-terrace house with a guide of €295,000. Built in the 1970s, it’s a well-kept ex-rental property.

“The owners have upgraded the heating and the windows over the years and it has a C3 BER,” says Angela Jordan, of ERA Downey McCarthy.

With 82sq m of living space, it has a living room, a kitchen/diner, three bedrooms, and a bathroom.

VERDICT: Affordable and well located, it’s within a 20-minute walk of Douglas village and a 20-minute bus ride from the city centre.