Clean, tidy, bright and in the best of a city’s suburban locations

IT must be a doddle to show this house at Milford, off the Sarsfields Road in Cork. Not only is it clean, tidy and bright, but it’s also a good-looking detached property.

No 19 is an extended, made-over, four to five bed, so it combines the benefits of a comfortable family home with great accessibility.

The owners would love their pride and joy to go to a family trading-up in the area, as the house is at the very end of the estate, in a quiet, tree-lined location.

Local schools and facilities are very good, they say, and just a walk away. However, because the house is close to Cork University Hospital, it’s also going to be sized-up for professional lets, especially now that rents have gone through the roof.

Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald, who is selling the house, says it’s a bright and spacious, four to five bed with 1,600 square feet of space. She’s looking for offers in excess of €475,000.

There are the usual range of reception rooms, but the owners have put in a conservatory at the back which runs into the garden and extends the kitchen. Facing south and with three Velux windows in the roof (two with obscured glass for privacy), this is a great addition to an already spacious house.

The original kitchen is now finished in an open galley style with maple units and includes an American fridge and a waste-disposal unit.

The gas boiler, washer and dryer are to the back in the utility and, on the opposite side, the guest cloakroom has been extended to include a nicely-fitted shower room.

This is handy for the fifth guest bedroom on the ground floor which doubles as a second study.

The music room is to the front of the house and behind is the living room which is covered in new oak flooring with French doors leading to the patio. A separate set of doors from the sun room also lead on to this private dining area.

The ground floor is finished in light oak and walls are in white and off-white, giving a clean finish.

The upper floor has three good double bedrooms and a single room that’s fully fitted as a study. That includes a desk, filing cabinets and full-length storage, all built-in, and the bedrooms come with wardrobes. The main bathroom has also been fully made-over and comes with an up-to-the minute suite.

No 19 is a very good example of how to update and maximise on a house’s appearance.