Main Street Ardara, Ardara, Co. DonegalF94KD5H
€125,000
2 Bed~1 Bath~41 m²~BER F
What you'll like:
- Heritage Town Location: The property occupies a convenient central position within walking distance of shops, cafes, and pubs in Ardara, which is highly appealing for daily convenience and community living.
- Generous Rear Garden: A surprisingly large backyard provides valuable private outdoor space, offering an attractive retreat and a pleasant area for gardening or relaxing outdoors.
- Potential For Extension: The substantial rear garden layout suggests future scope to extend the existing footprint, subject to securing the necessary local planning permissions from authorities.
- Included Outbuilding: A large garden shed measuring over twenty-two feet in length is included, offering fantastic secure storage capacity or a useful workspace for DIY projects.
- Versatile Property Type: The manageable mid-terrace layout appeals broadly to first-time buyers, downsizers, holiday-home seekers, and investors looking for a rental asset.
- Heritage Appeal: Ardara is widely regarded as one of Donegal's most attractive characterful towns, providing a strong sense of community and close proximity to scenic coastal landscapes.
- Walkable Amenities: Daily errands are easily managed on foot due to the central main street placement, reducing reliance on private transport for basic town provisions.
- Existing Furnishings: The interior is presented in generally good condition throughout, allowing new owners to move in comfortably without undertaking immediate emergency repair works.
- Solid Fuel Fireplace: The living room features an inviting open solid-fuel fireplace with a decorative mantel, offering traditional warmth and a cozy focal point for winter evenings.
- Built-In Storage: Both bedrooms feature practical built-in wardrobes and storage solutions, maximizing the compact floor space efficiently for residents and guests.
- Compact Floor Plan: Extending to roughly 41 square meters, the manageable size ensures lower ongoing heating, cleaning, and maintenance costs for budget-conscious occupants.
- Ground Floor Facilities: The inclusion of a ground-floor shower room adds convenience, preventing the need for occupants to navigate stairs constantly during the day.
- Holiday Home Potential: The low-maintenance footprint and tourist-friendly heritage location make this an ideal lock-up-and-leave holiday retreat for weekend breaks in Donegal.
- Rental Income Opportunity: Given the strong demand for housing and holiday lets in the region, the property presents a viable investment option for landlords.
- Clear Room Layout: The interior is efficiently arranged with distinct spaces including an entrance hall, separate living room, and compact kitchen/dining area.
- Under-Stairs Storage: The kitchen benefits from enclosed storage tucked beneath the stairs, helping to keep counters tidy and maximizing available interior storage space.
- Kitchen Appliances: The kitchen is already equipped with built-in wall and base units alongside a freestanding electric cooker and extractor fan for immediate use.
- Tiled Fireplace Feature: The living room retains a classic tiled fireplace with a matching decorative mirror, adding a touch of traditional character to the main living space.
- Private Outdoor Space: Having a private rear garden in a central town-centre terrace setting is a rare and highly desirable feature for town properties.
- Direct Access: The townhouse configuration offers direct access from the main street while maintaining a private sanctuary at the rear of the dwelling.
But keep in mind:
- Poor Energy Rating: The property carries a weak BER rating of F, which indicates very poor thermal efficiency and signals that substantial energy upgrades will be necessary.
- Single Glazed Windows: The dwelling features wooden frame single glazing throughout, which likely contributes to significant heat loss, drafts, and higher home heating expenses.
- Limited Floor Area: With a compact total floor area of only 41 square meters, the living quarters are quite restricted and may feel cramped for growing families.
- Narrow Kitchen Space: The kitchen and dining area measures approximately 3.56m by 1.52m, offering very tight restricted floor space for food preparation and dining furniture.
- Outbuilding Condition: The garden shed is part stone and part block with a corrugated tin roof, meaning buyers should investigate its structural integrity and potential asbestos presence.
- Planning Uncertainty: While the garden offers extension potential, buyers must verify whether local planning regulations will actually permit expanding the footprint on this specific plot.
- Heating System Age: The oil-fired central heating system requires professional inspection to determine its age, efficiency, and remaining operational lifespan before purchase completion.
- Ventilation Concerns: Compact spaces combined with single glazing can increase the risk of indoor condensation, so a damp survey is recommended to check moisture levels.
- Staircase Steepness: Traditional townhouses often feature steep staircases, which might pose mobility challenges for elderly residents, young children, or when moving bulky furniture.
- Parking Availability: As a central main street property, buyers should carefully verify what permanent parking options are available for residents near the front door.
- Shared Boundary Maintenance: Being a mid-terrace dwelling, owners share party walls and should investigate potential maintenance responsibilities and obligations regarding adjoining properties.
- Outdated Flooring: Several rooms feature lino and older carpet floor coverings that buyers will likely want to replace soon after taking possession for aesthetic reasons.
- Compact Shower Room: The ground-floor shower room is relatively small, which may feel restrictive for daily use or when accommodating guests with accessibility needs.
- Electrical System Check: Buyers should arrange a comprehensive electrical survey to ensure the consumer unit and wiring meet modern safety standards and regulatory compliance.
- Insulation Deficits: Due to the F energy rating, the roof space and walls likely lack adequate insulation, requiring costly retrofitting to improve indoor comfort levels.
- Roof Inspection Needed: The condition of the main roof structure and slate work should be professionally examined to check for hidden leaks or deterioration over time.
- External Maintenance: The timber window frames and exterior finishes will require regular painting and ongoing maintenance to protect against Donegal's wet weather conditions.
- Town Centre Noise: A central street-side location may experience occasional traffic, pedestrian, or nightlife noise, which should be considered by light sleepers.
- Limited Expansion ROI: Given the low baseline property value of €125,000, buyers should calculate whether the high costs of a major extension will yield a positive financial return.
- Drainage and Boundaries: Due diligence should include confirming clear legal title, exact boundary lines, and the condition of private sewage and surface water drainage pipes.
Price positioning
?
Not enough reliable market evidence is available to position this asking price.
Build Analysis
What we know from similar construction types
- The property is a compact mid-terrace townhouse extending to approximately 41 m² (437 sq.ft.) of accommodation, featuring a traditional layout with a living room, kitchen, and ground-floor shower room, along with two bedrooms upstairs.
- The listing notes the presence of wooden frame single glazing, which is a major contributor to heat loss and should be investigated for potential upgrades to double or triple glazing.
- The property features an open solid fuel fire in the living room and oil-fired central heating, which should be inspected by a qualified professional for efficiency and compliance.
- There is a substantial garden shed (approx. 6.78m x 2.18m) of part stone and part block construction with a corrugated tin roof, requiring assessment of its structural integrity and weatherproofing.
- The generous rear garden offers potential to extend the existing accommodation, subject to obtaining the necessary planning permission, which a buyer should verify with local authorities.
Retrofit Cost*
Possible renovating / insulating expenditure
- Given the F BER rating and features such as single-glazed wooden windows, uninsulated or poorly insulated walls, and outdated heating controls, a comprehensive deep retrofit is required to bring the property to a modern energy efficiency standard (typically B2 or better).
- Estimated costs for a deep retrofit on a property of this small size (41 m²) generally range from €35,000 to €55,000, encompassing the installation of high-performance double or triple-glazed windows and exterior doors, external or internal wall insulation, roof insulation, heating system upgrades (such as an air source heat pump or high-efficiency boiler), and airtightness improvements.
- Grant supports from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) may be available to offset a portion of these deep retrofit costs, subject to meeting specific BER uplift criteria.
Heating cost*
Estimated expense to heat this property every year
- Estimated annual heating cost: €1,200 to €1,800. The property features an oil-fired central heating system combined with wooden frame single glazing and a poor BER rating of F, which suggests higher than average heat loss and energy consumption.
Pollution Safe
9/10Environmental situation to investigate
Flood Safe
8/10Water overflow reports to follow up
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 Ardara area
82 ARD CONNELL, ARDARA, DONEGAL
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €190,000.00
WEST END, ARDARA, DONEGAL
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €55,000.00
LACKADUFF, ARDARA, CO. DONEGAL
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €200,000.00
RAGLAN HOUSE, ARDLOUGHER, ARDARA
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €271,570.00
MAIN ST, ARDARA, DONEGAL
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €180,000.00
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 €1,250 based on 1 percent of the €125,000 asking price for residential property up to €1 million.
- Solicitor legal fees: approximately €1,500 to €2,500 plus VAT and outlays.
- Land registration fees: approximately €170 to €400 depending on the registration type and property value.
- Property valuation fees: approximately €150 to €300.
- Surveyor fees: approximately €400 to €800 depending on the level of detail required for the 41 m² floor area.
- Annual home insurance: approximately €350 to €600 depending on the policy and coverage level.
Forum Talk
What people are saying about this area
- Locals in Ardara frequently discuss community events and tourism initiatives, given the town's status as a designated heritage town.
- Property discussions in the area often highlight the balance between holiday homes and permanent residences, impacting local housing availability.
- Residents on regional forums note steady demand for central townhouses suitable for downsizing or holiday rentals.
- Community groups actively share updates regarding local infrastructure, tidy towns efforts, and local business support.
LifeFit Assessment
How well this property may suit your lifestyle
Family
7 areas- Young Children4/10
The property offers a compact 41 m² floor area and a generous rear garden which is great for play, but the two-bedroom layout and central townhouse setting provide limited space for growing families.
- Teenagers3/10
With only two bedrooms and roughly 437 sq ft of living space, accommodating teenagers would likely feel quite cramped over time.
- Multi-generational Living2/10
The small footprint and single bathroom make multi-generational living extremely impractical here.
- Single Buyers9/10
An affordable asking price of €125,000 and manageable size make this an ideal starter home or base for a single buyer.
- Couples8/10
The two-bedroom configuration is well-suited for a couple starting out or looking for an easy-to-maintain holiday retreat.
- Empty Nesters8/10
Downsizers will appreciate the manageable scale and central town location close to local amenities.
- Retirees7/10
While the single-floor living elements are limited by the two-story layout, the proximity to town amenities suits retirement life, though buyers should verify if stairs present a long-term mobility challenge.
Work
3 areas- Remote Working6/10
The second bedroom could double as a home office, though buyers should verify broadband speeds and connectivity in the area.
- Hybrid Commuting3/10
Ardara's remote location in west Donegal makes regular commuting to major employment cities impractical.
- Retired8/10
An excellent match for retirees seeking an affordable, manageable home within a vibrant heritage town community.
Practical
8 areas- Ageing in Place5/10
While single-level convenience is partially supported by a ground-floor shower room, the two-story layout with stairs and single glazing may require future updates to suit long-term ageing in place.
- Low Maintenance7/10
The small 41 m² floor area keeps cleaning and upkeep straightforward, though the BER rating of F and single-glazed wooden windows suggest upcoming energy-efficiency updates will be needed.
- Secure Gated Entry2/10
This is a standard mid-terrace street property with open access directly onto Main Street.
- Minimalist Design8/10
The compact square footage naturally lends itself to a minimalist, uncluttered lifestyle.
- Flexible Floor Plans6/10
The layout is relatively fixed, though the generous rear garden offers potential to extend the accommodation subject to planning permission.
- Heritage Home9/10
Located right in the heart of Ardara, a popular heritage town known for its traditional character.
- Ecological Setup3/10
The property relies on an oil-fired central heating system and currently carries an F BER rating, indicating significant room for eco-friendly upgrades.
- Outdoor areas8/10
A standout feature is the generous rear garden complete with a large garden shed (approx. 22'3" x 7'2"), offering valuable private outdoor space.
Interests
9 areas- Gardening7/10
Features a generous rear garden and a large garden shed, offering plenty of scope for keen gardeners.
- Walking9/10
Ideally situated within walking distance of the town centre and local amenities, with great access to scenic Donegal walks.
- Gym4/10
There is no dedicated home gym space, and local specialized fitness facilities may be limited given the rural town setting.
- Cycling7/10
The scenic local roads and surrounding countryside provide good cycling routes, though rural traffic and hills should be considered.
- Golf5/10
While Donegal has renowned links courses, players should investigate the distance to the nearest specific golf club from Ardara.
- Fishing8/10
County Donegal is famous for its angling rivers and coastal fishing spots, making this a convenient base for fishing enthusiasts.
- Horse Riding6/10
Rural west Donegal offers scenic backdrops for riding, though buyers should verify local stable availability.
- Water Sports6/10
Proximity to the west Donegal coastline offers opportunities for water sports, though travel to specific beaches or hubs may be required.
- Entertaining5/10
The open-plan kitchen/diner and living room provide some space, but the compact overall footprint of 41 m² limits large indoor gatherings.
Lifestyle
5 areas- Quiet Living5/10
Being a mid-terrace townhouse on Main Street means you get a central position, which can bring street noise compared to a purely rural retreat.
- Rural Living6/10
Ardara offers easy access to the surrounding countryside and west Donegal landscape, though the home itself is centrally located in town.
- Village Living10/10
Located right in the popular heritage town of Ardara within walking distance of shops, cafés, restaurants, and pubs.
- Coastal Living7/10
Positioned in west Donegal with good access to the surrounding coastline, though not directly on the coast.
- Urban Living2/10
Ardara is a characterful heritage town rather than an urban center, offering a quiet town atmosphere rather than city life.
Social
6 areas- Community Involvement9/10
Ardara is widely regarded for its strong sense of community and active local calendar.
- Café Culture8/10
Being within walking distance of local shops, cafés, restaurants, and pubs places local socializing right on your doorstep.
- Nightlife6/10
Traditional local pubs provide a lively atmosphere, though large-scale nightlife is absent in this heritage town.
- Health/Wellness groups5/10
Local community groups and pilates & stretching classes may exist, but specialized wellness infrastructure should be verified locally.
- Networking Opportunities3/10
Networking options are sparse given the small-town rural setting, making it better suited for remote workers who don't rely on local business networking.
- Tech-Hub Connectivity2/10
There are no major tech hubs nearby, so remote tech workers will need to rely entirely on home internet connections.
Listing information
- Agent
- DNG Dorrian
- Phone
- 074 973 1291
- Published on HouseDelve
- 6 September 2026
- Correction
- Report an issue
HD-D6C6A4HouseDelve · 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.