There is plenty to occupy your free time in Kilkenny, home to almost 30 festivals a year. As well as the arts, culture and top-class eateries of the towns and city, there is plenty of natural beauty to be enjoyed on the Nore Valley walking route, for example, or the Castlecomer and Woodstock loops.
Fran Grincell, owner of Fran Grincell Properties, says it has been a busy year for the housing market there. It’s still very hard for young workers to buy their first home, he says, with new lending rules allowing a buyer to borrow four times their income still not enough in some cases.
He estimates more than half of first-time buyers he has dealt with have relied on financial help from their parents to buy a home.
For downsizers, he says, bungalows are rare, meaning buyers are more likely to go for a ground-floor apartment. Three-bed properties are still most popular, according to Grincell.
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About Kilkenny, he says “we’re so different”, the city offers “a great buzz” and is a safe place to live.
Four-bed
Stone Lodge, Dama
This four-bedroom detached home, just 10 minutes from Kilkenny, comes to the market in excellent condition, leaving very little work for a potential buyer. The home, extending to 324sq m (3,448sq ft) is light-filled and contemporary throughout, with a large entrance hallway leading into the kitchen/living/diningroom at the back of the house. There is a green Stanley oil range cooker with a striking Moroccan-style tile splashback in a brick surround. The redbrick chimney breast of the livingroom separates it from the rest of the space. On the ground floor there is also a second livingroom as well as the main en suite bedroom, a second double bedroom and the main bathroom.
The first-floor landing is huge and is currently used as a hang-out space. The three main bedrooms are also upstairs. The property offers plenty in the way of garden as it sits on a 0.7 acre site, as well as a large garage. This family home is on the market through DNG Ella Dunphy, seeking €590,000.
Three-bed
The Blue House, Dungarvan
This three-bedroom detached home comes to the market in turnkey condition and, situated in Dungarvan village, is about a 15-minute drive from Kilkenny. The front reception room is big and is currently used as an open-plan living/diningroom, with exposed stone walls. From here, the kitchen is accessed through an archway; it has rustic wooden units, a small centre island and space for a dining table. Glass doors from the kitchen lead into a generous sunroom, which would make a great playroom, livingroom or work-from-home space. There is also a utility and a shower room on the ground floor.
The three bedrooms upstairs are doubles, the main is en suite, and the landing is spacious – the current owner has it set up as an office. There is a large driveway to the front of the house, as well as a lawn and a patio area. There is a block-built garage with connection to electricity at the back. There are also schools, shops and cafes in the nearby villages of Benettsbridge and Thomastown, and easy access to the M9 motorway. This charming family home, extending to 165sq m (1,776sq ft) has a Ber of C and is on the market through DNG Ella Dunphy, seeking €380,000.
Buy-to-let
17 MacDonagh Junction, Kilkenny
This two-bedroom two-storey apartment located above MacDonagh Junction shopping centre is likely to appeal to an investor looking for a Kilkenny city property. Its location will no doubt suit a range of potential tenants, with shops and the train station on its doorstep. All the highlights of Kilkenny city are within walking distance, including a wealth of restaurants, the park and Kilkenny Castle.
The open-plan living/dining area is on the first floor, off which is a small kitchen. One double bedroom is off the living area. The large balcony, with plenty of space for a table and chairs, boasts a great view over Kilkenny. A second double bedroom and the bathroom are on the ground floor. The selling agent, Liberty Blue, estimates the property could make an annual rental income of €11,472, while management fees for the building cost about €2,000 a year. This apartment extends to 81sq m, has a Ber rating of C and is now on the market seeking €175,000.
Downsizer
56 Seville Lawns, Kilkenny
This ground-floor apartment is likely to appeal to a buyer looking to downsize to a two-bed in Kilkenny city. The property, extending to 51sq m (549sq ft), comes to the market in good condition having had just one previous owner since it was built around 2007. It also has a Ber rating of B, which should help to keep energy costs down.
The generous living/dining area to the front of the property opens out to the kitchen at the back. There is one en suite double bedroom and one single. The back courtyard has cement tiling, which should be easy to maintain. The property is a 10-minute drive from the amenities of Kilkenny, as well as St Luke’s Hospital. It is on the market through Fran Grincell Properties, seeking €200,000.
Holiday home
41 Talbots Gate, Kilkenny
This one-bedroom apartment may suit someone looking for a holiday home in the medieval city; a contemporary bolt-hole to rest your head on weekend spent attending the food, arts and comedy festivals the city is best known for. This property, extending to 51sq m (549sq ft), comes to the market in turnkey condition with a contemporary kitchen/living/dining area, a big back garden and a large en suite main bedroom. The dark wood-effect floors look fresh throughout.
This ground-floor property is a 15-minute walk from Kilkenny city centre, and has a D Ber rating. It is on the market through Fran Grincell Properties, seeking €175,000.
Fixer-upper
Clonassy, Mullinavat
This old farmhouse on an acre of land could be restored to a comfortable countryside home by an imaginative buyer. Located 2.5km from Mullinavat village, the property extending to 126sq m (1,356sq ft), consists of two bedrooms, a sittingroom, a kitchen/livingroom, a bathroom and three outhouses. There are 10 acres of agricultural land nearby also available for sale, according to the agent. This property, with a Ber rating of G, is on the market through Shee & Hawe, seeking €162,000.
