Great location but prepare to upgrade at €375,000 Ballintemple home

YOU’LL have no problem giving visitors directions to Dromore: this bungalow is not Dromore in Northern Ireland, nor is it the one near Bantry in west Cork – it’s directly opposite Crab Lane, which links the Boreenmanna Road to the main Blackrock Road in Cork city.

Agents Savills pin a Ballintemple address to this Dromore, a mid-1900s bungalow now showing its age, directly opposite the southern end of the slender Crab Lane, near Páirc Uí Rinn, Cork Con RFC, public parks and within a walk of the city centre, or equally of the Marina.

There’s been much renewal in the area, from brick-faced apartments to quite substantial one-off homes, with a few very high end contemporary architectural arrivals also updating the area’s fee and profile.

What of the future of Dromore? Right now, it’s a G BER detached bungalow with less than 800 sq ft, with rear kitchen off a back reception room, two bedrooms, a bathroom and a front room which could be third bedroom, or a reception?

It has old carpets and wallpapers removed, the bathroom was done up some years ago (but not the kitchen), has replacement PVC double glazing and central heating, and though not currently lived in, won’t quality for the vacant property grants.

Depending on who buys, it may just get wrapped and cosy as a trade-down option? It could go up to another floor, subject to planning, or it might be knocked and replaced in its entirety.

Budget, design and the planning process will dictate, what’s certain is allure of the setting.

Guiding at €375,000, agent Lawrence Sweeney says “it’s in the highly sought-after Ballintemple area, set on a private site, offers a rare opportunity to own a home in a peaceful, well-established neighbourhood.” As well as the house on its private site, by the entrance to a short cul de sac called The Acre which has a few one-offs now recently arrived there, there’s a small detached garage/store to the back.

Savills Mr Sweeney says it “presents with immense potential, making it perfect for first-time buyers, those looking to trade down into a more manageable home, or anyone considering relocation to this fantastic location.” 

VERDICT: It has a G BER, and underpinning work done five years ago, and could be a FTB project, but traders-down may very well bid them out of the picture.