Home and work opportunity

This B&B could now be a spacious home. Tommy Barker reports

THE owner of Belvedere House can chart the past quarter century of Douglas village’s development — her family home, which she turned into a B&B, hosted the men and women who came to build, develop, fit-out, and shop.

Now retiring, Maud Byrne has put Belvedere House up for sale, and it’s an open question as to whether it goes on working for its living (it would be great for treatment rooms, etc) or reverts to straight family home use once more.

Maud says they’d bought it 27 years ago, but after her husband the musician and furniture auctioneer John Byrne suddenly passed away shortly after that, she had to make her home work to rear her family of four children, getting guests from the commercial sector, weddings, tourism and more, all down to the house’s handy suburban location.

The extended semi-detached home is in a prime position on Cork’s Douglas Road, right next door to the AIB bank branch, and has three clustered outdoor buildings to the side/rear, currently accommodating three en suite bedrooms, plus a hair-dressing salon, and a laundry for the B&B.

Inside, there are three ground floor reception rooms, with the back one opening to a large 20’ by 13’ kitchen/breakfast room, with great granite-topped island. Beyond is a raft of decking and outdoor seating area, facing south west, with further paved garden section beyond, home to two apple trees.

Condition is very good, says auctioneer Jeremy Murphy, who suggests that those who don’t need all the en suite bedrooms can amalgamate a few rooms, remove or adapt a bathroom to walk-in dressing rooms, or some such. There’s also handy attic space, for storage, den-use, etc.

VERDICT: There’s a huge amount of space on offer here, in a strong location, ideal for the right buyer who can make best use of all its facilities.

Location: Douglas, Cork

Price: €500,000

Size: 2,800 sq ft (including outside rooms)

Bedrooms: 9, with 8 en suite

BER rating: Pending

Broadband: Yes

Best feature: Location and possibilities