Eyes right for a well turned out property

Rose Martin visits a Victorian beauty that’s recently been renovated.

WESTVIEW, Military Hill is the kind of house you have to view to appreciate. And that’s not just brochure-speak, as this house has an attention to detail that puts it in the top rank.

Located less than a 10-minute walk from Patrick’s Street, Cork, the three-storey Victorian terraced house is currently under offer, but hasn’t yet come close to the guide price of €650,000.

Part of the military history of Cork city, this steep residential area was home to the officers and enlisted men of the British Army who were attached to Victoria (now Collins) Barracks, on the Old Youghal Road.

And, despite being over 150 years old, this house looks very good, thanks to an almost total renovation.

Smooth walls, perfect plasterwork and muted colours combine to give a house with character and comfort.

And it’s immaculate, despite a few little ones running around, which also explains the vendor’s decision to move: greener and safer places for the children to play in is the main criteria for this young family. And, someone’s loss can be someone else’s gain.

Peter Cave of Hamilton Osborne King is selling number 3, Westview, and says he currently has an offer of over €600,000 for this five-bedroom property.

Mr Cave also points out that most of the older properties on Military Hill come on the market needing quite a bit of work.

With accommodation over three floors, the property is bright, clean and warm.

The ground floor has interconnecting living rooms with high ceilings and original cornice work and at the back, there’s a newish maple kitchen with windows onto a pretty, landscaped yard. Here, a garden shed doubles as a hidden utility room.

On the first floor return, there’s a very Laura Ashley morning room in soft blues which gets the best of the eastern light, says the vendor.

And, at the front of this floor, the master bedroom runs the length of the house and comes with its own ensuite, a nice extra for a property of this age.

Overhead, there are three more bedrooms and a study, with two bathrooms between the floors.

According to Peter Cave, the house offers luxury living while at the same time being within the city’s parameters. “There’s a move to nice houses like this that are within walking distance to town.”

And the area is on the way up: there have been €2 million-plus sales here in the last year or so and the predominance of rental properties is declining in favour of owner occupiers.

Across the road from number 3, Marymount Hospice is to relocate to Curraheen which will free up a large section of the area for development.

A high-end, luxury scheme is likely here, and in that sense, buying into the area now, may be a good investment.