Starter Homes: Three Cork properties on the market from €265k

HOLIDAYMAKERS will want Logan’s Rest in Baltimore for its charm and Wild Atlantic Way location.

With its prettily painted blue and yellow exterior, the small two-bed bungalow is well set up to cater for summer visitors to the West Cork seaside village, although Maeve McCarthy, of Charles McCarthy auctioneers, believes it is also possible that it could catch the eye of a retired couple looking for a coastal home.

Built in the 1980s, the property is within a five-minute walk from the pier, where ferries depart daily for Sherkin Island and Cape Clear. From the front window and a decked area outside, it offers views of Baltimore church and glimpses of the harbour through treetops.

A 60 sq m bungalow which has been used as a holiday rental, it has been decorated cottage-style on the inside and is well maintained. Accommodation includes an open-plan kitchen/dining/living area with a fireplace as well as a utility room, shower room and two bedrooms.

Fitted with double glazing and oil-fired heating, it has an E1 BER, which a new owner may want to improve on.

There’s parking and a small garden area at the rear.

Quoting a guide of €300,000, Ms McCarthy says that, given Baltimore’s popularity as a holiday destination, this is likely to attract a lot of attention.

VERDICT: Coastal, pretty, and close to amenities.

THE attractions of duplex properties like 55 Fort Hill in Moneygourney is that they tend to be more affordable than semi-ds and more spacious than apartments.

Built in the early 2000s, No 55 is a modern, well-kept three-bed with a B3 energy rating. Seeking offers of €315,000, Barry Smith, of James G Coughlan auctioneers, says it’s been very well cared for by the owner occupiers who have had it since it was new.

There’s 104 sq m of living space which, at the lower level, includes a tiled kitchen/diner as well as a guest WC and a small utility. There’s also a timber-floored sitting room with a large corner window and a door opening out to a wrap-around balcony. The upper floor has a bathroom and three bedrooms including one with an en suite. The home has one designated parking space.

The key selling point is likely to be the location off Maryborough Hill, about 3km from Douglas village.

“Fort Hill is a hugely popular, mature, mixed residential development located within easy reach of the South Link Road. Nearby amenities include Foxwood and Educate Together schools and Mount Oval Village,” says Mr Smith.

This is the second sale in the development this year — the first was of an identical-type duplex at No 66, also sold by Mr Smith. He says it attracted good interest from first-time buyers and went well above its €305,000 guide.

VERDICT: Good interest expected.

No 17 The Mews, at Classes Lake in Ovens, is a modern top floor property with a guide of €265,000, just 2km from Ballincollig.

“It’s been owner-occupied and has been very well maintained,” says Linda O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald Cork who expects strong interest from both investors and young couples.

The third-floor 67 sq m property has a spacious kitchen/dining/living area with a balcony which overlooks a communal green area. There’s also a bathroom and two bedrooms, one en suite.

VERDICT: Modern and ready to move into.