Monopoly board addresses carry Cork premium prices

Fri, 28 Feb, 2020 - 20:30

Tommy Barker

Carrying a similar-sounding name to a top address on the Monopoly board is Cork’s Aylesbury, which is not entirely coincidentally set next to Cork’s Shrewsbury. And, yes, this Aylesbury “with a ‘y’” too is high-end in terms of location, quality and ...pricing.

Now, after its initial October 2018 kick-off, comes the launch of the final phase of this 74-home suburban Ballintemple development (by Cork Constitution RFC,) which only now and finally includes the first release of semi-detacheds.

The semi-d, a popular staple in the Cork homes market, comes last, only after previous sales of apartments, duplexes, three-storey townhouses, and six tall signature detacheds at the front of the development, sort of calling card of quality.

The news is that the semi-ds are priced at €515,000: but, let it be pointed out they are all four-bedroomed homes, not the more typical three-bed staple. They are 1,510 sq ft apiece, and notably they have that accommodation over just two levels, not three.

Despite the €500k plus price tags, there’s likely to be a pretty quick uptake, especially given the level of pre-launch inquiries from would-be buyers, suggests estate agent Elizabeth Hegarty of Savills.

They’re set towards the back of the long and deep site, which developers Centurion Homes bought from Eircom. They later persuaded City Hall to let them reduce density from the 114 units for which planning permission had already been secured, down to 74.

Some 47 sales are now secured, adds Ms Hegarty, across all previously released types, and buyers include investors, with one getting €1,800 per month income for a 807 sq ft two-bed apartment.

Other prices include those two-bed apartments, at €300,000, each with back gardens, and the 1,378 sq ft three-bed duplexes above them, at €390,000 each, with sit-out terrace/balconies.

These €390k duplexes are, effectively, three-bed semis of some scale, only set up a floor above the apartments. They have underfloor heating, served by air-to-water units, big living spaces, and like all other units come with built-ins, Kube kitchens and an A2 BER.

Access to the duplexes is by an internal access stairs, with high and airy stairwells as a particularly attractive feature,compared to the external stair access norm more usually seen in the apartment/duplex split.

The duplexes are entered at the front of the builds, and the apartments underneath have side entrances, under zinc canopies. Eight of these units, a mix of four and four, are being managed by Respond.

The site is surprisingly deep, with two greens, and has its main thru’ avenue walls lined in very attractive St Ives creme bricks, a signature feature of this contemporary-styled development: it’s been designed by Kinsale-based architect Richard Rainey, who also designed the sold-out Cluain Mara in Kinsale for Centurion Homes, which is headed in Cork by Noel Barry.

Set amid the four, 1,510 semi-ds going to market is one-only detached (€550k), with an identical layout and size to the semis, after a slight change to the layout, which initially proposed seven terraced houses.

Now, it’s a more market-friendly four semis and a detached, and their backs will look out over the playing fields of Cork Constitution (main pic). Also in the slightly reconfigured Aylesbury layout will be one detached home, a four-bed of 1,819 sq ft, over three levels.

It’s being priced at €690,000. Meanwhile, one of the six detacheds at Aylesbury’s entrance facing Churchyard Lane, and west-aspected to the back, has returned to market, priced at €700,000.

Many of the scheme’s residents are already in situ, a further handover is coming in a month or two, and Cork is expected to wrap up on site by this year’s end, says Centurion Homes’ director Noel Barry.

Then, around the same time, they hope to move to their next site, off the south Douglas Road, to include a good density of apartments, and other house styles with design work finishing up shortly, and set then to go direct to An Bord Pleanála under a fast-track SHD application.