Starter Homes: Four Cork homes for first-time buyers to consider

A buyer who hasn’t been able to find a new three-bed semi in Midleton, might consider this three year old one at 48 The Fairways, Tir Cluain to be the next best thing.

“Guiding at €350,000 – it’s bright, modern and beautifully maintained and it has an A2 BER ‘’ says Ed O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald O’Donovan pointing out that new three-bed semis are scarce in the town and are likely to cost in excess of €400,000.

This property is possibly one of the first resales in The Fairways, a 76 unit mixed development located around two km from Midleton town centre and train station.

It offers 94 sq metres of living space which at ground level includes a modern laminate floored living room connected by an archway at the rear to a kitchen/diner with navy blue shaker style units and white splashback tiles.

Off the hallway there’s a guest WC and upstairs there’s a tiled bathroom and three bedrooms including one en suite and one which the owners have fitted out as a home office.

In front of the part render, part redbrick property, there’s a neat front garden with space for two cars. Outside the French doors in the kitchen, there’s a southwest-facing lawned garden with a patio and a raised bed.

The property was purchased as a new build in December 2022 for €339,950.

VERDICT: A modern energy efficient home that barely looks lived in, it could prove very appealing to a first time buyer.

This mid terrace two-bed property at 6 Seminary Villas in Blackpool is a little unusual in being part of a cul de sac terrace of late 19th Century houses which has a communal garden area at the front.

Listing it with a guide of €265,000, Richie Dunlea of Barry Auctioneers, says it’s a charming and cosy property which has been upgraded over the years by an artist owner who bought it 30 years ago.

“It has a number of original features including timber flooring and doors and exterior decorative features including window railing, " he reveals, explaining that the owner has added a small kitchen extension at the rear with modern fitted units and two skylights.

Accommodation includes a timber floored sitting room with a stove and a shuttered window as well as a tiled dining room with a brick fireplace and a stove. Beyond this at the rear is a modern kitchen area with grey shaker style units and hardwood counters.

The upstairs has a bathroom with wainscoting and two bedrooms with views across city rooftops.

To the rear backed by a high stone wall is a patio garden which the owner has filled with pot plants.

The cul de sac terrace of ten houses is accessed by a sloping roadway/path which runs through the garden area which is overgrown but could with a bit of communal effort be turned into an attractive amenity.

Seminary Villas is located within a 20 minute walk from St Patrick’s Bridge.

The Property Price Register shows no 8 selling for €195,000 earlier this year and No 3 for €225,000 in 2023.

VERDICT: The terrace seems ripe for gentrification.

This one-bed property at 4 Clehanes Cottages on Lower Glanmire Road is no longer recognisable as the run down property it sold as just two years ago.

Completely modernised with new floors, doors, heating and windows and an upgraded kitchen and bathroom, it’s a small 40 sq terraced property with a guide of €195,000.

Paul Fenton of Sherry FitzGerald Cork says the affordable guide price and the city centre location could make it attractive a first time buyer.

Part of a terrace of four houses located in a laneway off Lower Glanmire Road, it’s within a 15/20 minute walk from the city centre. In January 2023 It sold for €145,000.

VERDICT: Tiny, but completely made over.

This traditional three- bed cottage at Ballyhandle near Crossbarry is in need of complete modernisation but its 1.3 acre site offers significant potential for development.

So says Brendan Bowe of Bowe auctioneers who is seeking offers of €265,000 for the property which is located 500 metres from Crossbarry village and 14 km from Bishopstown.

Dating from the 1920s, it’s a small 56 sq metre property with a selection of outbuildings.

VERDICT: The site size is the obvious attraction