Salubrious semi-d could break record price

SEVEN years ago, the ‘twin’ of this very large Georgian home set a record price for a semi-detached house in Cork. Now the other half of the equation, Eastcliffe, looks set to do the very same thing on leafy Castle Road.

The narrow stretch of road from Blackrock village - set for a major waterside planning application in coming weeks - and the expensively (but worth it) conserved Blackrock Castle, is home to a string of individual period homes, small mansions and pretty villas.

And there’s the super-sized semis as well. Number one, Pinehurst, made a price record back around 1997, at a fledgling time in the Irish property boom.

In keeping with period tradition is Eastcliffe, dating to 1830 and in the same family ownership for the last 25 years.

It comes up for sale guiding at €1.8 million, and has all the warmth of a cherished family home. It is being sold by its trading-down owner, whose grown up family has flown the nest.

It will accommodate the largest of families, as it has done for generations. It has a floor area around 4,000 sq ft, spread over a surprising four and a half levels.

The other surprise is just how bright it appears to be, from top to bottom: even the basement and lower ground floors get lots of light in, especially at the back which opens out to a large, walled-in south-facing garden and patio.

Finding names for rooms at the lower levels is almost a challenge, as this is a five-bedroomed house that will swallow possessions and still challenge you to find uses for rooms.

The vendor calls one space a “dump room”, but estate agent Peter Cave of Hamilton Osborne King is more professional; he opts for “home gym”, and a hefty boxing punch bag does indeed hang from one old beam.

There’s studies, dens, home laundry rooms, pantries and more, and the remnants of an old bread oven are still glimpsed in some ancient brickwork. The potential for home office suites/consulting rooms, au pair’s quarters or granny flat is clear.

But, it is the upper floors that will attract today’s money set looking for the genuine period article -and that’s Eastcliffe’s forte.

It has two very fine formal reception rooms, with period fireplaces and intact architectural trimmings such as shutters and cornicework: they survived a mid 1900s temporary conversion of the house into four flats.

Windows to the front are replacement timber sashes, with double glazing for sound insulation, while behind replacements are in double glazed uPVC. Heating is oil fired.

The uppermost floor has three bedrooms, plus a recently installed quality bathroom with Jacuzzi bath and power shower, while the floor underneath is home to a 22’ by 16’ master bedroom, with double arched windows, and off is a large en suite bathroom.

The second bedroom at this level is also ensuite, complete with bath and shower.

Grounds are good, well-tended private and attractively mature (there’s a 100’ long rear garden).