Dispensing with surplus: healthy HSE outcome in dispensary sales
THE HSE has been left feeling the love to the tune of €850,000 after the sell-off on St Valentine’s Day of nine former medcial centre dispensaries/sites, predominantly in West Cork.
About 120 persons attended the auction disposals by estate agents Hodnett Forde in nine lots, at widely varying prices, from as low as €20,000 in far-flung and picture-postcard pretty Eyeries, to as much as at €270,000 in chi-chi Baltimore, right by the pier.
Auctioneer on the day with Hodnett Forde, Andy Donoghue, described the sale of the former health centre in the heart of Baltimore as the Valentine’s Day ‘auction highlight:’ it made almost twice its pre-auction guide of €130,000/€140,000 after very spirited bidding.
The successful buyer has not been identifed, but it’s expected a change of use to residential may now be sought for the former commercial/residential property. It’s split level, with about 850 sq ft, and is set just above the dinghy park by the pier, near a range of shops, bars and services.
Also selling handily over its initial pre-auction guide of €140,000/€150,000 was a 1.5 acre development site, on the N71/Bypass Road in Bandon town, facing the new 25-bed Community Hospital by Spring Lane, near retail warehousing and some new house building plots. It zoning is ‘Business Use.’ It made €170,000 at the Celtic Ross Hotel auction on Feb 14th.
Cheapest lot on the day was a 0.3 acre site at Eyeries, on the Beara Peninsula, finding new owners for just €20,000, having been guided €30,000/€40,000.
In Adrigole, a centre with stunning West Cork harbour views, sold for its guide price at €80,000: also tipping over its guide was a profile centre/site at Church Cross, near Skibbereen, guided at €30,000/€40,000, and making €45,000.
Set out closer to Macroom in Kilmurry village, a centre by the new community museum sold for €84,000, having had a guide of a €60,000/€70,000..
Against expectation of higher levels of interest, given its location near the Cork harbour pharma sector hub, the former health centre at Shanbally sold for €75,000, shy of its €120,000 price guide.
Again coming up short on the day was another former dispensary in close proximity to Cork city at Goggins Hill, Ballinhassig, on a compact site near private homes. It had a guide price of €120,000, but was picked up for €50,000.
According to Hodnett Forde, the majority of bidders across the range of lots were interested in switching uses from medical to private, domestic/house uses.
“We were delighted to have sold all nine lots on the day for our clients, the HSE,” commented Mr Donoghue. “The atmosphere in the room was electric, which materialised into a large number of bids received from the floor. We’d like to thank all who attended and wish all buyers the very best of luck with their purchases”, he added of the Valentine’s Day new partner pairings of properties and enthusiastic owners.
DETAILS: Hodnett Forde 023-8833367
