Harmony reigns in leafy Linden

BERLIN has its famous Unter Den Linden boulevard — and Beaumont in Cork has its own more modest, yet leafy too, Linden Avenue.

Called after the linden tree, the road is one of the lacey network of suburban rows in Cork city’s eastern suburbs, with neighbouring communities of Ballintemple, Blackrock and Douglas all fairly nearby.

Built about 50 years ago, many of the houses here — semis, by and large — are undergoing quiet renewal as a new generation moves in to take ownership, and a keen draw for young families are good schools and amenities within walking distance.

A new market arrival with agent Clare O’Sullivan of Savills is the tunefully-titled Harmony, or Number 16, Linden Avenue, carrying a €310,000 asking price. That’s well back from market peak values, and possibly then some, but the house needs modernisation so prospective buyers will have to budget for more spending, sooner or later.

“Harmony, as the name suggests, is a hidden gem as neighbourhoods go,” says selling agent Ms O’Sullivan.

She adds that the garden size (it is 65’ long, and 35’ wide, slightly wider than the usual) is plenty big enough to allow for an extension.

And, there’s a detached garage just a few feet away from the side of the house, so there’s room for a side extension and still some back garden access on its other side.

Other than that, the house has a fairly typical layout of three first floor bedrooms, two main reception rooms plus back kitchen.

There’s also a rear garden ‘sun-room’, a simply-built structure adding already to the house’s main 1,040 sq ft of space.

Harmony has oil heating and teak timber double glazed units, and its large site and airiness makes it a very viable extension candidate.