City centre apartment with lofty potential
We don’t have the heritage for creative conversion, so it’s a make-do-and-mend situation.
On that note, Hugh McPhillips of Marsh’s has an intriguing property on his books at the moment. This penthouse apartment has the potential to be lifted to loft status if you can get over the love-it-or-loathe it South Terrace Court address.
This large mid-’90s Cork city apartment scheme is home to a rainbow of nationalities, a ground-floor collection of medics and therapists and though the original design even allowed for a tennis court between the two blocks, not even Wimbledon fever sees it put to use.
But, and it’s a big ‘but’, you can buy a 1,200-square foot, three-bed penthouse here for €400,000.
Granted, a semi in the suburbs is cheaper, but you do get a city centre parking spot thrown in and a view over the city. It’s a bit shabby and has been rented for a while, but all of the bedrooms have French doors on to the balconies and the living room has its own balcony.
There is potential here with a capital ‘P’ for an owner-occupier with flair. The living area is divided up at the moment, but it would be very tempting to knock the lot and make a big, open-plan space of this corner unit. Serious loft potential. Alternatively, it could be let out.
