Second chance to purchase

Tommy Barker reckons small is beautiful in a city centre two-bed semi.

IF you missed out on the bidding burst last year to buy 53 Capwell Avenue, your luck is in. Having gone ‘sale agreed’ in rapid order in 2006, a deal which subsequently didn’t close for a (resolved) technical reason, this fine and dandy example of ‘the best goods coming in small parcels’ is back on the market.

The semi-detached two-bed house a mile from Cork’s city centre and just above its ‘link-road,’ which connects the effective ring road to the city core by City Hall along a former railway line, has just as much chic charm and contemporary character.

Sssh, tell no-one, and it could be yours, hot-stitch.

Think of the amount of accommodation as being akin to a two-bed apartment, only with its own more private interior and exterior spaces, and you won’t be disappointed. Estate agent Michael McKenna of McKenna O’Donoghue Clarke says “it has made just about the best use of space that I’ve seen in any house.”

He seeks offers around €390,000 for this 750 sq ft house, noting that it was bid to €403,000 last year, and yes, you’ll get a selection of three-bed semis for that sort of sum, though mostly a bit further out in the suburbs, or at least not in as good condition.

No 53 is a little stunner, all done up with an astute designer/builder’s eye and guiding hand by its relocated builder-owner.

There’s a small entrance hallway, about 6’ square, except it also has got curves, with a striking curved wall to the main open-plan living area where the retaining ceiling beam shows how small the original ground floor rooms would have been before being all opened up.

Now, this living room is a 21’ by 16’ space, bright with windows on two sides, that curved party wall is painted purple and there’s a slight staircase intrusion, with an open fireplace facing it in black marble.

There’s a new kitchen extension added on to the back with a pitched ceiling complete with glass panels, smart maple units and crisp blue colouring used on feature walls and tiles, and the floor is tiled.

Upstairs there are two bedrooms, one a good double size with built-ins (not quite the same quality as the rest of the internal joinery, though), plus a smart bathroom with bath and shower, glass-block screening wall, and creature comforts are supplied gratis of gas central heating and PVC woodgrain double glazed windows.

The outside has touches as smart as the inside, with a screening wall and wood entrance door to the side, making for a sheltered and pretty private patio/courtyard.

Because the site size is tight the kitchen extension swallowed up just about all of the rear yard, so you’ve that side patio and gravelled front garden, ideal for car parking and low maintenance.