Small margins make a big difference at ready-to-go €380,000 Ballincollig home

ANYONE stuck for space will appreciate the importance of small margins. At No 16 The Lawn in Coolroe Meadows, the house was nudged out sideways just enough to dispense with a galley-style kitchen and replace it with a much more enjoyable open-plan layout.

 Where once there was just enough room to cook, you can now serve up meals to a built-in dining counter or lounge in the TV area, or slip out to the patio via double doors that were added as part of the extension. 

Skylights were added too, boosting natural light levels.

 The upshot is more functional daytime accommodation and the welcome addition of a utility room, which the original terraced homes in The Lawn did not have. No 16 also has a separate front living room, guest downstairs loo, three bedrooms (one ensuite) and a family bathroom.

The vendors of No 16 are the original owners and they’ve been in situ at the O’Brien O’Flynn scheme since the late 1990s. Having extended their home about three years ago, they’re now moving on – and trading up. The home they are selling is in turnkey condition and has a an energy rating welcomed by buyers. At a solid B3, more favourable green mortgage rates are available.

Selling the 1,055 sq ft terraced property is Michael O’Donovan of Savills and he says there’s a good “family vibe” to the Coolroe Meadows’ location, which overlooks a green. Couples with smallies in tow will like the enclosed rear garden. It’s a compact enough space, but it’s been nicely and simply landscaped, with a patio area outside the French doors, and a pathway down to the garden shed.

 A bed of raised shrubs runs down one side and there’s planting also against the opposite fence, while the tree line at the end of the garden ensures no-one’s peering through from the rear. The garden aspect – south west - is favourable.

With a guide price of €380,000, Mr O’Donovan expects first time buyers and couples to take a look.

“The attraction here is that there is no work to be done. All the buyer need do is move furniture in and unpack,” the agent says.

Earlier this year, adjoining No 17 The Lawn, a slight smaller home than the one featured here (91 sq m v 98 sq m), sold for €370,000.

Mr O'Donovan says a  buyer could look at converting the attic at No 16.

“There’s a good pitch to the roof and it could be converted into an attic room. At the moment it’s partially floored for storage and reached by a Stira,” Mr O’Donovan says.

He adds that the location is favourable: just 2km west of Ballincollig town centre; near a bus route, within easy reach of the Link Road network, within walking distance of Ballincollig Regional Park. Cork city is a 14 minute drive away, Cork Airport is 12 minutes by car and it’s a 10 minute spin to Cork University Hospital. Ballincollig is well resourced in terms of retail, schools and green space.

VERDICT: A buyer need not worry about additional financial outlay given the turnkey nature of the property and it's sound energy rating.