Behind the scenes at this three-bed bungalow reveals a welcome surprise

Willow Green has got raw potential within a walk to the city centre. Tommy Barker reports

DON’T judge a book by the cover: the modest-seeming site at the suburban bungalow Willowgreen is only a front — there’s a whole other section walled off behind, making for a cracking good, bursting-with-potential, quarter acre of private grounds in all. And, it’s quite intriguing.

Back in the boom, people would have been looking at knocking and building anew on a far larger scale: now something more modest is likely as the honest 1,050 sq ft single storey three-bed comes up for sale.

Location is super-handy, on Willow Lawn, a short, steep hill which runs between Cork’s Ballinlough and Boreenmanna roads, within a walk of the city centre. Willow Green is near the top, and its site (146’ deep, and 71’ wide) is level, and fully walled in, crying out for greenery and screening tree-planting.

It’s been well kept up front, and the house is quite original and will need updating and more spending on top of the €325,000 guide pinned to it by Dennis Guerin of Frank V Murphy & Co auctioneers.

An adjoining dormer house, recently significantly enlarged (practically rebuilt) shows what can be done, both in the house stakes and in opening up the garden.

Willowgreen has got raw potential, to use the word that often doesn’t mean a whole lot. New owners could do something quite exciting and radical here — if they have the bobs. Alternatively, the house could get a fits and starts makeover, and the second garden portion could be rotovated and put to work as a private market garden, complete with growing tunnel.

Right now, a handful of neighbour houses overlook this rear plot, but walls are fairly high (and there’s some lovely old limestone here) so even some judicious tree planting will soften the look and give privacy cover.

As for the double-bay fronted bungalow, there’s nothing at all wrong with it, bar showing decorative signs of age/era, and the restriction of working with just over 1,000 sq ft of space. It has two reception rooms, a small enough kitchen (10’ by 10’), three bedrooms and a bathroom, plus separate WC. Both of the reception rooms, the kitchen and one bedroom have their original tiled fireplaces, while there’s also oil-fired central heating in place, but windows are single glazed aluminium.

VERDICT: The site’s potential should get the mind racing. Quite a prospect, but you’ll have to fund the extra works as well as pay the purchase price.

Location: Ballinlough, Cork

Price: €325,000

Size: 98 sq m, (1,050 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 3

BER rating: Pending

Best feature: Buckets of space