Kensington comes close to Douglas

THERE’S a small touch of the Kensington lifestyle, about Douglas Close.

That’s according to estate agent Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald, who highly rates the location where you can walk out your front door and have just about ever upmarket amenity and service on your doorstep.

The three-storey, red-brick faced townhouses (near the Fingerpost in Douglas village in Cork) date to the late 1990s, and have always been steady sellers, and as there’s only 14 of them, they sometimes get buyers lining up and waiting for a sale arrival.

Despite the fact they have accommodation over three levels, with a first floor drawing room, they are favoured by traders-down, especially those not put off by a few flights of stairs and with good, functioning knees and hips.

That first floor 18’ by 11’ reception room really fits the ‘withdrawing room’ bill, and is a level above the usual offering, literally and metaphorically, with gas insert fireplace and bay window.

A new market arrival is no 11 Douglas Close, priced at €650,000, and is a mid-terraced three-bedroomed home in good overall condition, just in need of a bit of decorative modernisation.

It fits in about 1,540 sq ft with a ground floor kitchen/dining room, with living room down two steps, and a guest loo off the hall. To the rear, is a two-stage utility/pantry, leading to a secure back garden with hard landscaping and seating area/decking. There’s one first floor master bedroom, en suite, and the top level has two bedrooms and bathroom.

A few buckets of paint and No 11 has the ability to transform itself to its next owner’s tastes.