Ideal trading up home in lovely Blackrock

THE next best thing, or an even better thing? Let Menloe watchers decide.

Menloe Gardens off the Blackrock Road is one of Cork’s best residential addresses, with its mid-1900s ‘Domestic Revival’ detached and semi-detached houses always making fine strong sums (think 1 million upwards for the detacheds) when sold.

But, right next door to leafy, old worldy Menloe Gardens and its central green with spreading chestnut trees is another niche enclave, Menloe Park. Here, just five detached Tudor-style homes were built back on the grounds of a demolished cottage, back in the 1990s by builders Fitzgibbons.

Because there’s only five, they only rarely come up for sale, and many passers-by along the Blackrock Road won’t even know they exist (clue, there’s a handy local shop at the corner entry point.)

The last sale here was back in 2004, when no 5 made well over €600,000, now along comes no 2, called Marcot, with a highly achievable €935,000 asking price.

Selling agent is Dennis Guerin of Frank V Murphy & Co auctioneers, who sold these houses day one, some 13 years ago, and he’s getting repeat business now from a loyal vendor.

Marcot is a 2,050 sq ft four-bed home, in excellent order and fettle, with two of its four bedrooms en suite.

Despite the expectation that it would be a trading up family home, it could be bought by a trader down: that’s the buyer background at least when no 5 sold over three years ago. The reason for that suspicion is that the back gardens at Menloe Park are on the small side, set back just enough off the road in front for a car or two, and a strip of lawn, and there’s not a lot more space behind either. You’ll get a trampoline in, but not a tennis court, in other words.

Menloe Park houses are probably bigger, on average, than their older Menloe Gardens neighbours, at over 2,000 sq ft, and one or two have put on very fine, subtle and unseen modern extensions side and back.

The biggest room in Marcot is the 18’ by 12’ sitting room, with pale marble fireplace, there’s also a dining room and family room (with garden access,) each of which at present is separate and distinct: again, a new owner might like to open up a few rooms as interconnecting options.

There’s also a kitchen/breakfast room, utility, and guest WC. Upstairs, two bedrooms are en suite, and the master bedroom has a few extra feet granted thanks to a bay window.

Overall condition is spot-on, heating is gas fired, windows are double glazed, and there’s a minimum of maintenance in the exterior or gardens to worry about. Blackrock village, and pier, is a five minute walk away, with a well-received bakery and food shop recently opened and catering for discerning palates.