By Niall Toner
Kitty’s Clareville in Oughterard, Co Galway, is a derelict stone-built period property located 27km from Galway city.
It comes with a small garden and an additional outbuilding, which could be incorporated into a redevelopment of the property.
The property overlooks the Owenriff River across the road.
Tell me more about the place…
With 1,237sq ft of notional living space, there is a kitchen, living room, hallway and sitting room on the ground floor, with two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor.
The large, roofless outbuilding is located to the side of the property and once housed a car battery business.
The bad news?
This one is for those romantics who binge on The Great House Revival. Inside, the stairs have completely collapsed.
The first floor cannot be walked on, and will need replacing as part of a top-to-toe restoration of this early 19th-century house. Some of the ceiling is falling in downstairs too. It’s a complete strip out and start again job.
There’s very little for sale around here, so you could face competition.
And the good news?
It’s a handsome-looking house, and it’s also BER exempt. Not being a protected structure means there’s a good deal more flexibility in the rebuild.
Due to its urban location, a few minutes from the centre of Oughterard, there is mains electricity, water and sewerage already in place.
An adjacent site is for sale separately and could also be developed, subject to planning approval. There are some rescuable period chimney pieces.
The walls are relatively dry and the external render is in fairly good condition, though a thorough survey would be recommended.
As the house has lain unoccupied for well over a decade, any renovations ought to qualify for grant aid under local authority Vacant and Derelict Homes schemes. Energy-efficient improvements such as an external wrap or internal insulation may also qualify for grant aid. The Owenriff has not been prone to flooding.
How much to buy it?
Offers in the region of €150,000 are being sought.
And to fix it up?
Expect to drop a minimum of €200,000 here, depending on the level of finishes you aspire to.
What will I end up with?
Set within walking distance of the centre of Oughterard, the “gateway to Connemara”, this rustic near ruin could be transformed into either a family home with two to four bedrooms, or a substantial holiday property in the west of Ireland, situated across the road from a small riverside park with picnic benches.
Who should I talk to?
Luke Spencer of Spencer Auctioneers, (091) 552999, can get you in on the ground floor before the rest of the ceilings end up there.