Fancy living close to a wildlife sanctuary?

THE Lough wildlife sanctuary is one of Cork city’s very few suburban amenity areas: the southern city has few jewels to compare with Dublin’s numerous public parks.

Up for sale within a couple of minutes’ walk from the Lough is a fine five-bedroomed home, practically two houses in size, thanks to well-constructed extensions put on in the previous years.

Family-owned and obviously well-maintained down the years, Cluain Mhuire, 91 Earlwood Estate, is in a quiet and well-established estate with a spread of family homes.

It has two access points off the main Lough Road outside, and UCC is a half a mile or so away.

It has five first floor bedrooms, with two rooms on the extended side of the wide stairs and first floor landing, and three other good sized doubles (one with a wall of built-ins) on the other sided plus a family bathroom with tiled walls.

A pull- down attic stairs opens to an enormous space.

The ground floor has oodles of space, with twin reception rooms to the left of the spacious hall, with an arch between the rooms which, between them, run 25’ from front to back.

Behind this is a neat sun room, with pitched roof, wood clad ceiling, Velux and with a tiled floor. It has a sliding door to the walled-in back gardens.

There’s also a bright family room extended out into the garden, with a gas insert fireplace, and off this is a galley style kitchen with pine units to the side of the house, a utility space for washing machine, and a guest bathroom with shower.

Selling agent is Paul Reid of Sherry FitzGerald, who gives this home in good overall decorative order a €340,000 price guide.

“There have been very few recent sales in Earlwood, and this is probably the biggest house here. Our last sale here was a four-bed semi nearby in Hillside, and that made about €340,000 so this should sell exceptionally well,” he said.

Likely bidders and possible buyers, he indicates, will include families looking to trade up and into town from further afield as well as from the locality, while the proximity to UCC may also attract investors eyeing up the five existing bedrooms and looking at the possibilities of a sixth bedroom at ground floor level.

Cluain Mhuire has a garage to the rear, and off-street parking. There is a front garden area and well-planted back garden. The property has gas central heating and double glazing.