3 houses to choose from, a four-bed stable-yard space in Co Meath countryside, a two-bed terraced house in Drimnagh, D12, or a turnkey two-bed in Bray, Co Wicklow, a couple of blocks from the sea?
Homes in this price bracket in good condition and with amenities on their doorsteps are becoming as rare as hen’s teeth.
In today’s market, buyers are under pressure to buy before their six-month mortgage window expires.
As a result of rising utility bills, they also want properties that have Ber ratings of C or higher, homes that they can move into now, and live there in comfort from day one.
Here are three that offer all of the above:
A historic house in the countryside with a story to tell
Address: 2 The Courtyard, Headstown, Castletown, Navan, Co Meath C15TR04
Asking price: €345,000
Agent: Townshend Auctioneers
The C2 Ber-rated four-bedroom, three-bathroom house is set within a stone-cut Georgian stable yard of a big house that was never built.
The restored 18th-century Headstown Courtyard was originally built in the 1770s by Lieutenant-Colonel Gerrard, constructed to serve as staff quarters for the main house.
The plan had been to build a big country house nearby, but instead he chose another site, Gibbstown House, about 10 kilometres away.
The result is a unique and very private setting.
Surrounded by the lush Meath countryside, it is highly accessible.
Just off the N52, close to the M1 and M3 interchanges, it is highly accessible to Dublin, Belfast, and the airport.
One of just seven homes, this one is unfurnished and extends to 110 square metres.
Access to the property is via a long stately avenue with electric gates leading into the landscaped inner courtyard, whose curtilage has been landscaped in a tasteful period style.
Great connectivity along the Grand Canal in Dublin 12
Address: 314 Mourne Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12 D12 DC53
Asking price €345,000
Agent: Ray Cooke
Situated in a mature part of Drimnagh, this B3 Ber-rated, two-bed, one-bathroom terraced house of 67 square metres has a lot to offer.
It has an impressive Ber-rating as well as separate kitchen and living rooms.
It opens into a small hall with the living room to the right, where there is room to accommodate two sofas, set around a wall-hung electric fire.
The eat-in kitchen is to the rear and spans the width of the house.
It leads out to the back garden, where there is scope to extend.
Upstairs, there are two doubles and a full-size bathroom.
The principal, to the front, has fitted wardrobes.
With off-street parking for one vehicle, it is located near the Grand Canal and is a short walk to the Suir Road red line Luas stop.
It is a similar distance to Brickfield Park, where there is a playground, soccer, and all-weather pitches.
Turn-key condition within 10 minutes of the seafront
Address: 18 Wolfe Tone Square, Bray, Co Wicklow, A98 H3K1
Asking price: €395,000
Agent: George & Maguire
With views of Bray Head from its south-facing back garden, this is a smartly appointed two-bedroom, two-bathroom terraced house in a mature square in Bray town.
The original ground floor footprint has been rearranged to accommodate a downstairs bathroom.
The position of the stairs has been moved to the back of the house, freeing up some valuable living space.
The C2 Ber-rated terraced house, which extends to 70 square metres, opens into a small hall that leads through to a good-sized sitting room where there is a wood-burning stove.
The eat-in kitchen has a galley-style configuration and opens out to the back.
Upstairs, there are two double bedrooms and a bathroom.
There is off-street parking for one car. The house is about a 10-minute walk to Bray’s seafront. The town centre’s shops are a similar distance away.
