Starter Homes: Four Cork properties on the market from €230k

Viewers of 13 Grange Way, Grange Manor in Ovens will be surprised when they discover how much space the two-bed mid terrace house has to offer.

“The owners, who have now moved to sunnier climes in Australia, added an extension and converted the attic to bring it up to 111 sq metre,’’ reveals Barry Nagle of Global Properties quoting a guide €349,000.

Explaining that one of the owners is a builder who carried out much of the work himself, he says it’s been stylishly upgraded and is in excellent condition.

Since buying the early 2000s built property as a new build, the owners have improved the BER rating to a B2 and have also put in a modern kitchen with granite topped cream units and a centre island.

At the front entrance, they built a low wall, added a porch rooflight and put in sliding doors to create a lobby area. Inside this, there’s a spacious tiled kitchen/ diner which leads into modern living room with skylights, a contemporary electric fire and large patio doors. The upstairs has two bedrooms and a bathroom while the top floor has a home office with an en suite WC.

In the garden area at the rear, the owners put down paving and built a studio that could be turned into utility room, a home office or a gym.

Mid-terrace in a row of four, the property is located five km from Ballincollig.

VERDICT: Modern, ready to move into and unexpectedly spacious.

Conveniently located on Kyrl’s Quay in the heart of Cork city centre, No 205 Northgate House is a modern two-bed apartment with an affordable guide of €230,000.

“It’s a well presented, owner occupied second floor property which is going to attract both first time buyers and investors,’’ says Tirza Hourihane of Sherry FitzGerald Cork.

Offering 60 sq metres of living space it has an open plan kitchen/dining/living space as well as a bathroom and two bedrooms. Located close to North Gate Bridge, it’s part of a 20 unit apartment complex built in the late 1990s.

VERDICT: Viewers will appreciate both the affordability of the guide price and the convenience of the location.

This detached three-bed house 186 Willow Court in Ballincollig might well be snapped up by a first time buyer.

That’s the expectation of Linda O’Donovan of Bowe auctioneers who believes that the 110 sq metre property offers good value for its €350,000 guide price. “In Ballincollig you could pay €380,000 for a three-bed semi in an older estate which needs work and over €400,000 for a more modern one,” she observes.

Built in the 1990s, No 186 is situated in a row of just ten similar detached properties in the Willow Court estate. “ When the current owners bought it around 15 years ago it had already been extended. Since then, they have put in double glazed windows and brought the BER up to a C3,” reveals Ms O’ Donovan.

The property has two timber floored reception rooms, one at the front with a fireplace and another at the rear with an archway opening in to a kitchen/diner with fitted units. The extension at the rear also created space for a small utility room and a guest WC.

The upstairs has a bathroom and three bedrooms.

Located around one km from Ballincollig’s main street, the property is within easy reach of shops schools and amenities. “ It’s just a short drive from the Ballincollig by-pass which provides easy access to Cork city and the southern suburbs “ says Ms O’Donovan.

Sales of the detached Willow Court houses seem to be quite rare – the only one showing on the Property Price Register is that of No 188 which sold for €268,000 in March 2021.

VERDICT: An untypical option for a young couple.

There’s a high possibility that viewers who come to see this three-bed end of terrace property at 47 Laurel Ridge in Shanakiel are going to include some Apple employees.

“It’s within a ten minute walk from the Apple HQ in Hollyhill,” says Garry O’Donnell of ERA Downey McCarthy who is seeking offers of €285,000.

An 81 sq metre, 1980s-built property with a C1 BER, it will require some modernisation. Accommodation includes a living room, a kitchen/diner, three bedrooms and a bathroom.

VERDICT: An affordable starter home, it’s just a ten-minute drive from the city centre.