Trading Up
Sq m: 153 (1,650 sq ft)
Bedrooms: 4
BER rating: C3
Broadband: Yes
There’s a great floor plan, and a smooth flow of space, at 35 Tracton Place, an extended four-bed semi in Cork’s Montenotte.
Houses here don’t come along too often, and when they do most need work: however, No 35 has already been invested in by its house-proud owners, who added the rear sun room, and had the walls pumped with extra insulation, along with upping insulation levels in the attic as well.
The ground floor here just seems to go on, and on, and on again, three rooms deep in places, so families looking to trade up won’t be caught short for living and breathing space. Rooms include a front living room with white marble fireplace, and double doors lead then to a rear dining room, which in turn continues the run into a sun room. Then, take a hard left, and that sun room leads to a second living room, which connects back to the kitchen, which goes back to the hall, which is where we first came in.
Confused? Well, you won’t be, that’s just a roundabout way of saying there’s oodles of rooms here, all leading on to another and that’s a real bonus, says Michael O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald seeking offers around €325,00 for this home in the cul-de-sac setting.
While the main bulk of space is at ground level the upper floor isn’t too scant either, with four double bedrooms.
VERDICT: Loads done to date
Sq m: 185 (2,000 sq ft)
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 3
Broadband: Yes
Back in the mid-2000s, €350,000 would only buy you a three-bed semi-d (and sometimes needing work) in many of Cork’s Douglas locations. Today, that €350k will buy a five-bedroomed detached home, in a cul de sac development on the edge of the suburban “village”.
This new-to-market offering with Jeremy Murphy & Co auctioneers is by Amberly in Grange, handily set for access to lots of services.
House sales in Kingsford are sporadic as there’s only a couple of dozen homes in all, with a do-er upper last offered two years ago around €400,000.
On a mature site, No 12 is in good order, and Jeremy Murphy describes it as “a superior five-bed family home,” with the bonus of a west facing back garden, plus side garden and a garage.
These 1980s houses are Georgian red-brick in style, with a sense of proportion to their facades and front doors with sentinel white columns.
Upstairs has five beds, one en suite and a jetted bath in family bathroom.
There’s a family TV room, a main, front-to back reception 24’ by 13 with bay window in front, open fireplace and French doors to the back garden. The kitchen has shiny white units with a marble tile floor ceramic, Belfast-style sink, with a similar sink in the utility.
VERDICT: Space galore for the money.
Sq m: 120 (1,300 sq ft plus 600)
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Broadband: Yes
Aah, a secret beach! Such words will bring a childlike thrill to the imagination of any coastal home buyer — and there’s one just down the road from this dapper Farran, South Ring West Cork bungalow a few miles from Clonakilty.
Clon’s already known as the beach capital of West Cork, and it must be the case, as there’s so many coves, many of them just go under the radar of the bathing, bucket and spade brigade.
Sheep’s Cove fits this category perfectly, reckons estate agent Henry O’Leary, who offers the very tidy, adjacent three-bed modern home down the way here at €259,000, and who says the sandy beach is one of Ireland’s best kept secrets — as he blows its cover (his brochure has a road map showing the location).
Three and a half miles from Clonakilty, the stone-faced house is a short stroll away from Sheep’s Cove has 600 sq ft of adaptable floored space at attic level, on top of its 1,300 sq ft ground floor, and it’s all on a half acre site which is as meticulously kept as the house is. One of the three bedrooms is en suite, the kitchen’s very bright, and there’s a smart living room as well.
VERDICT: A lovely setting, just around the headland east of Inchydoney — now there’s a beach that’s no secret.
Sq m: 93 (1,000 sq ft)
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
Broadband:Yes
You’ll be steeped in Cork coastal lore at 5 Coastguard Cottages, facing across a sheltered watery inlet to Crookhaven from Rock Island.
Converted in the 1990s into seven private and holiday homes to a design by architect Paul Leech, each one of the ten here has something different going for it — and all share access to a private slipway, with moorings bobbing in the bay. Whoever buys here is going to be into boats, — and with the water so close, it would be a shame not to be.
This coastguard station was built originally in the late 1880s, and was used to accommodate light keepers as well as the workers during the feat of building the current Fastnet lighthouse (1897 to 1904) which is perched five miles out in the Atlantic.
Selling agent for No 5 is Maeve McCarthy of Charles P McCarthy auctioneers in Skibbereen, who seeks about €295,000 for the three storey, sheltered building, with breath-taking views, and a south-facing sun terrace.
It’s got an open plan 25’ by 15’ dining/living room with solid fuel stove, three bedrooms, main bathroom, one en suite, and a guest WC. The top floor, with its master bed en suite, is reached via a spiral stairs.
VERDICT: There’s a sort of communal feel to this Rock Island complex, easy to use as a lock up and leave.
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