History in the making at 3 Vernon View

PERIOD trimmings and good sash windows, five bedrooms, parking in front, a deck and fern-fringed patio behind, plus the city centre not much more than a mile away.

That's a potted biog of 3, Vernon View on Cork's South Douglas Road. But, its estate agent Finbarr Roche could give enough background to fill out the rest of this page.

The auctioneer with Access Properties knows the place well as his father was born and reared in the house next door, and the vendor of no 3 is now his own brother Seamus. "We call it Chez Shay," he quips of the chi-chi family home which hits the market with a €550,000 price guide.

The terrace, with views of (sadly, decaying) Vernon Mount House in the distance as well as the newly emerging Kinsale Road roundabout flyover, dates back to 1905, and is Victorian in style.

The entire terrace was built by the O'Connor family, who controlled a number of houses here for decades before they sold on one by one: two adjoining end of terraced ones sold 18 months ago in very poor condition for about €480,000 for the pair, and were gutted and rebuilt.

No 3 is a ready to move into job, fully renovated in the early 1990s with Ventrolla-ed sash windows. It last sold c 1998 and is in mint condition.

It has a real benefit in its off-street parking for a car, and inside there's a hall with contrasting tile floor, two inter-connecting reception rooms with sanded floors and fireplaces, with the dining section to the rear overlooking the stepped, highly-planted back garden.

There's an annexe behind, so space is more plentiful than might appear from the front, and this annexe has the kitchen with pine units and French doors to the deck.

Off the stairs return is a walk-in hot press (with tumble dryer) and bright bathroom with lots of windows, bath, bidet and shower. The first floor has two bedrooms, and the next level up has three bedrooms.