
4 Summertown Avenue, Glasheen, CorkT12E7K3
€425,000
3 Bed~1 Bath~96 m²~BER E
What you'll like:
- Prime Medical Proximity: Located within effortless walking distance of Cork University Hospital, ensuring exceptional convenience for healthcare professionals or robust long-term rental demand.
- Academic Hub Proximity: Positioned extremely close to University College Cork, making this an ideal acquisition for staff, students, or astute buy-to-let investors.
- Retail Convenience Nearby: Wilton Shopping Centre is just a short stroll away, providing immediate access to major supermarkets, retail stores, and essential daily amenities.
- Mature Residential Setting: Situated in a quiet, established neighbourhood known for its peaceful atmosphere and strong community stability, enhancing everyday living quality.
- Private Off Street Parking: The front garden features a dedicated private parking area, eliminating the daily hassle of securing street space in busy urban locations.
- Valuable Side Entrance: A convenient side gate provides independent access from the front to the rear garden, ideal for moving bicycles, bins, or landscaping supplies.
- Generous Floor Area: Spanning approximately ninety-six square metres, the interior layout offers well-proportioned rooms that comfortably accommodate modern family living expectations.
- Extension Potential: The private rear garden offers exciting possibilities for a future ground floor extension, subject to securing the necessary local planning permissions.
- Front Living Room: The welcoming front living room benefits from an existing fireplace feature, creating a cozy focal point for relaxing winter evenings.
- Rear Kitchen Dining: The kitchen and dining space is positioned to the rear of the home, offering direct visual connection and access to the back garden area.
- Fitted Kitchen Units: The kitchen comes equipped with functional wooden cabinetry, providing immediate utility while offering scope for a future modern cosmetic upgrade.
- Three Bedrooms Layout: The upstairs accommodation comprises two comfortable double bedrooms and a practical single room, suiting families or home office requirements.
- Built In Wardrobes: The main double bedroom and single bedroom include pre-existing built-in wardrobes, maximising floor space and offering immediate storage solutions.
- Spacious Second Bedroom: The second double bedroom offers generous proportions, providing plenty of room for additional freestanding furniture and comfortable guest accommodation.
- Private Rear Garden: The back garden is neatly laid out with gravel and planting, featuring a small garden shed and offering a private outdoor retreat.
- Double Glazed Windows: The property is fitted with PVC double glazed windows throughout, assisting with thermal insulation and reducing external neighbourhood noise intrusion.
- Oil Fired Heating: Equipped with an oil-fired central heating system, providing a reliable and traditional method of home temperature control during colder months.
- Established Underpinning History: The dwelling was formally underpinned by a specialized contractor back in 2005, addressing historical structural settlement issues transparently for buyers.
- City Living Potential: The combination of location, garden space, and room sizes presents an outstanding canvas for buyers wanting to craft a personalized urban home.
- Accessible Transport Links: Excellent proximity to local bus routes and main arterial road networks ensures effortless commuting across Cork city and surrounding areas.
But keep in mind:
- Poor Energy Rating: The property holds an exceptionally low BER rating of E, indicating significant energy inefficiency and high potential heating costs for occupants.
- Substantial Upgrade Costs: Bringing this home up to modern energy standards will require comprehensive insulation and heating system overhauls, representing a major capital expense.
- Historical Underpinning Note: While completed in 2005, the previous underpinning history means buyers should commission a thorough structural survey to verify current stability.
- Single Bathroom Limit: The accommodation features only one family bathroom upstairs, which may create morning congestion for a busy household or visiting guests.
- Oil Fired System Age: Relying on oil-fired central heating can be less convenient and more costly than modern natural gas or heat pump alternatives.
- Outdated Interior Finishes: The internal decor and fitted units appear dated, requiring a substantial financial investment in modernization, painting, and cosmetic renovations.
- Planning Permission Hurdles: Any aspirations to extend the rear living space will be subject to local council planning scrutiny, adding time, cost, and uncertainty.
- Single Glazed Door Concerns: Buyers must verify the exact thermal performance and sealing condition of all exterior doors to prevent unwanted drafts and heat loss.
- Garden Maintenance Demands: Although gravel helps reduce upkeep, the rear garden layout requires ongoing attention to ensure planting areas do not become overgrown.
- Restricted Single Bedroom: The third bedroom is a compact single room, limiting its versatility primarily to a nursery, child bedroom, or home office setup.
- Potential Electrical Upgrades: Older properties often feature outdated wiring systems, requiring a professional electrical inspection to ensure compliance with current safety standards.
- Ventilation and Dampness: Due to the low energy rating, buyers should carefully check for signs of condensation or dampness, particularly around window reveals and bathrooms.
- Roof Insulation Status: The attic space must be thoroughly inspected to confirm adequate depth and quality of thermal insulation to prevent unnecessary heat loss.
- Plumbing System Inspection: The age of the existing plumbing and hot water cylinder should be professionally evaluated to avoid unexpected pipe leaks or failures.
- Parking Space Limitations: The front driveway may have restricted turning or parking capacity if accommodating larger modern vehicles or multiple family cars.
- Storage Limitations: Aside from built-in bedroom units, overall internal storage is relatively modest, necessitating careful organization or additional furniture investments.
- Acoustic Insulation Levels: Semi-detached construction can sometimes transmit noise between neighboring properties, making soundproofing evaluations prudent for sensitive buyers.
- Renovation Disruption: Undertaking structural, thermal, and cosmetic improvements simultaneously will likely require temporary displacement or living through a disruptive building project.
- Resale Value Ceiling: Buyers should ensure that renovation costs do not exceed the ultimate ceiling market value typical for homes in this specific neighborhood.
- Boundary Verification Need: Legal representatives must carefully review title deeds and maps to confirm exact boundaries, particularly regarding the side entrance and rear garden limits.
Price positioning
?
- The asking price appears somewhat overvalued when considering the current energy rating deficit and the capital expenditure required to upgrade the property to modern efficiency standards, contrasting with fully modernized local alternatives that achieve stronger transactional figures.
- Upward pricing signals stem from its exceptionally convenient positioning near major educational and medical institutions, whereas downward valuation pressures are clearly driven by the poor energy profile requiring immediate and substantial thermal upgrades.
- This ambitious pricing strategy could be supported by fierce buyer demand for well-located urban family homes, though it could be seriously undermined by competing properties possessing superior energy ratings and lower near-term renovation burdens.
- Crucial contextual factors include historical structural remediation works noted in the property description, which might necessitate specialist engineering sign-offs, alongside the strong appeal of potential extension space subject to securing necessary planning permissions.
Build Analysis
What we know from similar construction types
- The property is a semi-detached 3-bedroom residence extending to approximately 96 square metres, featuring PVC double-glazed windows and oil-fired central heating.
- The listing explicitly states that the house was underpinned in 2005 by Cumor Construction Ltd, which is a significant structural intervention. A buyer should investigate the engineering reports, guarantees, and the underlying cause that necessitated the underpinning.
- The rear garden offers potential to extend the property, though any such plans would be subject to obtaining the necessary planning permission from the local authority.
Retrofit Cost*
Possible renovating / insulating expenditure
- The BER rating of E indicates a poor level of energy efficiency, meaning the property would likely require a comprehensive deep retrofit to bring it to a modern standard (such as a BER rating of B2 or higher).
- A deep retrofit for a 96 square metre home typically costs between 50,000 and 80,000 euros, depending on the extent of external wall insulation, heating system upgrades (such as installing a heat pump), window replacements, and air tightness improvements required.
Heating cost*
Estimated expense to heat this property every year
- Estimated annual heating cost: €2,000 to €2,500.
- Explanation: Given the 96 m² floor area and a poor BER rating of E, the property has higher energy inefficiencies leading to increased oil-fired central heating consumption compared to more modern homes.
Pollution Safe
8/10Environmental situation to investigate
- The area is primarily residential and established, showing no immediate proximity to major heavy industrial plants or active municipal landfills.
- Any historical industrial uses in the broader Cork city environs are distant enough not to pose an immediate apparent local hazard, though standard environmental due diligence is advised.
Flood Safe
7/10Water overflow reports to follow up
- Glasheen is generally elevated away from major tidal river overflow zones, though localized heavy rainfall can occasionally cause minor surface water pooling in low-lying urban pockets.
- Buyers should consult local authority drainage maps and historical flood indicators to verify specific surface water risk for this particular plot.
Recent Local Sales
Verified residential transactions published in the previous five years
Sales on the same street or estate
No verified results were found for this group in the previous five years.
Recent sales in the wider Glasheen area
32 SANDYMOUNT AVE, GLASHEEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €435,000.00
27 SHEARES PARK, GLASHEEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €190,000.00
46 SUMMERSTOWN RD, GLASHEEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €325,000.00
18 CLASHDUV EST, GLASHEEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €600,000.00
18 CROAGHTA PARK, GLASHEEN, CORK
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €815,000.00
Source: Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), Residential Property Price Register (PPR).
Matching uses address information published by the PPR rather than measured map distance. It may omit nearby properties on differently named streets.
Last Sale
A confidently matched previous PPR transaction for this property
No confidently matched previous sale was found in the Property Price Register.
Buyer fees*
Associated expenses guide
- Stamp duty: approximately €4,250 based on 1% of the asking price for a residential property under €1 million.
- Solicitor legal fees: approximately €1,500 to €3,000 excluding outlay and VAT.
- Land registration fees: approximately €170 to €400 depending on the registration type.
- Property valuation fees: approximately €150 to €250.
- Surveyor fees: approximately €500 to €1,000 depending on the level of detail required.
- Annual home insurance: approximately €350 to €700 depending on the level of coverage.
Forum Talk
What people are saying about this area
- Locals frequently discuss the convenience of living near Cork University Hospital and UCC, making the area popular with hospital staff and academics.
- Traffic congestion during peak school and university term times is a common topic of discussion among residents in the Glasheen and Wilton areas.
- Community groups note that mature residential settings like Summertown Avenue maintain a quiet and settled neighborhood character.
- Residents occasionally mention the ongoing demand for property upgrades and extensions given the proximity to city amenities.
LifeFit Assessment
How well this property may suit your lifestyle
Family
7 areas- Young Children8/10
The property features three bedrooms and a private rear garden, making it suitable for young families, and its location close to local amenities and schools in Glasheen is a distinct advantage.
- Teenagers6/10
With three bedrooms (two double and one single) and a 96 m² floor area, space might become somewhat limited as teenagers grow, though the proximity to UCC and educational facilities is helpful.
- Multi-generational Living3/10
At 96 m² with a single family bathroom and traditional layout, the property lacks the independent living spaces required for comfortable multi-generational living.
- Single Buyers7/10
Offers a manageable semi-detached footprint with private parking and a mature setting, though single buyers should budget for modernization given the E BER rating.
- Couples8/10
An excellent size for couples starting out or looking for a city-accessible home, offering two double bedrooms, a private rear garden, and off-street parking.
- Empty Nesters6/10
The manageable 96 m² size and single-level convenience on the ground floor offer appeal, but stairs to all three bedrooms and the need for energy upgrades might require consideration.
- Retirees5/10
While the mature residential setting and proximity to Cork University Hospital are strong points, retirees should note that all bedrooms are upstairs and the property requires energy efficiency improvements.
Work
3 areas- Remote Working6/10
Three bedrooms allow for a dedicated home office setup, though buyers should verify broadband speeds in the area.
- Hybrid Commuting8/10
Conveniently positioned for commuting within Cork, with good access to hospitals, the university, and city transport links.
- Retired6/10
Proximity to Cork University Hospital and established amenities is ideal for retirees, though the stairs and BER rating should be considered.
Practical
8 areas- Ageing in Place4/10
All bedrooms are located upstairs and the property has a single family bathroom, which may pose challenges for long-term ageing in place without modification.
- Low Maintenance5/10
The property is semi-detached with a gravel rear garden, but buyers should note the historical underpinning in 2005 and the E BER rating which indicates future energy upgrade works may be needed.
- Secure Gated Entry2/10
Features open private parking at the front garden rather than a secure gated entry system.
- Minimalist Design5/10
Traditional semi-detached layout featuring a separate living room with fireplace and enclosed kitchen/dining area rather than open-plan minimalist design.
- Flexible Floor Plans5/10
Standard 96 m² three-bedroom layout with potential to extend to the rear subject to planning permission, though current spaces are fixed.
- Heritage Home3/10
A mature mid-century or later semi-detached residence rather than a protected heritage structure.
- Ecological Setup2/10
The property relies on Oil Fired Central Heating and currently holds a low E BER rating, indicating significant room for ecological and energy efficiency improvements.
- Outdoor areas6/10
Benefits from a front garden with private parking, a side entrance, and a private rear garden laid out in gravel and planting with a small garden shed and extension potential.
Interests
9 areas- Gardening5/10
Features a front garden with private parking and a private rear garden laid out in gravel and planting with a small garden shed, offering modest scope for landscaping.
- Walking8/10
Excellent walkability to local amenities, Wilton Shopping Centre, Cork University Hospital, and UCC.
- Gym6/10
Urban location provides good access to local fitness facilities and amenities within the wider Cork city area.
- Cycling6/10
Reasonable cycling distance to the university and central Cork, though buyers should verify local cycle lane connectivity.
- Golf5/10
Standard suburban access to regional golf clubs around Cork, requiring a short drive.
- Fishing3/10
An urban residential location with limited immediate access to primary fishing spots without traveling toward the coast or local rivers.
- Horse Riding2/10
Equestrian facilities are not located nearby due to the suburban setting.
- Water Sports3/10
Located in an inland suburban area, requiring travel toward Cork harbor or coastal outlets for water sports.
- Entertaining6/10
Includes a kitchen/dining area to the rear and a private rear garden with potential to create an outdoor chill space, though overall living space is compact.
Lifestyle
5 areas- Coastal Living1/10
Located inland in Cork city, with no coastal proximity or maritime views.
- Quiet Living7/10
Positioned in a quiet and mature residential setting in Glasheen, offering a peaceful atmosphere away from the immediate city center bustle.
- Rural Living2/10
This is firmly an urban/suburban setting within walking distance of major shopping centres and hospitals, offering none of the characteristics of rural life.
- Village Living6/10
The mature suburban neighborhood feel provides a community-oriented environment with local amenities within walking distance.
- Urban Living8/10
Highly convenient for city living, situated within walking distance of Wilton Shopping Centre, Cork University Hospital, and UCC.
Social
6 areas- Community Involvement7/10
Situated in a mature residential neighborhood with an established community feel and active local networks.
- Café Culture7/10
Proximity to Wilton Shopping Centre and UCC provides good access to local cafes and eateries.
- Nightlife6/10
Quiet suburban setting, but within easy reach of Cork city center nightlife and entertainment venues.
- Health/Wellness groups7/10
Close proximity to Cork University Hospital and surrounding urban amenities supports access to local wellness and healthcare initiatives.
- Networking Opportunities6/10
Proximity to the university and city center offers reasonable professional networking potential.
- Tech-Hub Connectivity6/10
Decent access to Cork's broader employment and technology sectors, subject to verifying home internet infrastructure.
Listing information
- Agent
- Michael McKenna Auctioneer
- Phone
- 021 427 9368
- Published on HouseDelve
- 13 September 2026
- Correction
- Report an issue
HD-337E02HouseDelve · Republic of Ireland* Estimate — not advice. Actual costs and outcomes can vary materially. Obtain current quotations and professional advice before making financial or property decisions.