Cityside living at €625k energy-efficient House of the Week in Belfield Abbey  

WHEN you consider that dated 1950s three-bed semis around Ballinlough are back making the kind of headline figures that had neighbourhood tongues wagging in Celtic Tiger times, the €625,000 guide price for this relative newbie on Boreenmanna Road shouldn’t really raise any eyebrows.

Granted, the Belfield Abbey property doesn’t have the outdoor space that comes with homes in the likes of Ballinlough’s Beechwood Park, where two three-bed semis sold in the past eight months for sums in excess of €600,000 (Price Register shows No 42 selling for €615,000 and No 16 selling for €640,000). But while Beechwood homes win out when it comes to garden size, they are generally not at the races when it comes to energy efficiency. No 42, which featured in these pages last year, had an E2 energy rating. By comparison, all of the Belfield Abbey homes are “B” rated. No 62, featured here, has a “B2” BER. It means buyers can qualify for cheaper green mortgage rates.

The toss-up between buying a ready-to-go home or a dated three-bed semi in the same neighbourhood boils down to whether you want the reassurance of an end to the spend once the keys are handed over or if you are prepared to run the risk of a subsequent indeterminate financial outlay.

For those who prefer not to gamble, No 62 Belfield Abbey is the safer option.

Part of a 65-unit scheme that went through a series of fits and starts (pre- and post-Celtic Tiger days), No 62 sold as a new build in 2017 for €445,000. At 134 sq ft, it’ s roomier than some of those Beechwood properties, albeit it’s spread over three floors instead of two. It’s a stylish, contemporary home, with a bright, inviting L-shaped kitchen/dining room to the rear, from where French doors open to a sandstone patio. 

The rear garden is quite long and slopes upwards towards the boundary with neighbouring Clanrickarde Estate.

A generous double-aspect living room with a sleek built-in overlooks the front drive and there’s a guest loo on the ground floor too.

Each of the two double bedrooms on the middle floor has an en suite while the main bathroom and two more bedrooms occupy the top floor.

“The property is in showhouse condition,” says selling agent Kevin Barry of Barry Auctioneers, adding that it’s “a combination of comfort and style”.

“It’s perfect for families seeking a blend of space, comfort and modern living, and with four bedrooms, it offers greater versatility if people are working for home,” Mr Barry says.

He highlights the location too, across the road from a Maxol station with convenience store, and opposite Ballinlough Community Park, beloved of dog walkers and kids bewitched by its fairy trail.

Anyone for tennis will be delighted to know that Ballinlough Tennis Club is at the top of the Fairy Park, while girls guides, scouts and the local youth club all operate out of an adjoining premises. For coffee aficionados, Cortado operates a mobile coffee unit near the tennis club.

As it’s off Boreenmanna Road, Belfield Abbey is also well served by public transport, with buses into Cork city (walkable also in about 20 minutes) and down to Mahon Point shopping centre. All kinds of sports are catered for locally, and it’s close to schools, retail and Douglas village. Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Páirc Uí Rinn are reachable on foot, as is the newly upgraded Marina Promenade where a very impressive new kiddie playground is nearing completion.

VERDICT: Ideal spot for families.