House of the week
Give it five minutes, and there’ll be a doctor attending the stone-hit victim — and probably a lawyer or two also... this venerable old city suburb has played host to all of the well-heeled professions.
And, Holmville in its midst has current and previous links to one of Cork’s old medical families, the Conlons, and only comes up now to market as part of an executor sale, with agent TJ Cronin of Irish and European, who guides the period-era home (but not a rigidly planning-controlled protected structure) at €495,000.
It’s a pretty big, yet manageable, home in anyone’s book especially for a city house, punching in at about 2,300 sq ft. The ‘manageability’ may yet be important to buyers and the next occupants, as it does, indeed, need work now and consequent further spending on all three of its levels. However, this Holmville home has been fully re-roofed, with work done now certified as to standard, with a Velux over the stairs at the back and there’s a new quality timber sash window on the top, front gable — so the bones of the top floor are ready for the next phase of renovation.
There’re two very rudimentary bedrooms up here at attic level, with great views from the front one, while the middle floor is home to three more bedrooms plus main bathroom. The main bedroom has two tall sash windows, south facing, flooding the room with light, and open up views toward UCC over the River Lee which can be barely glimpsed from part of this tall, upright, grand old dame of a house.
Apart from the re-roofing, a lot of the wiring was replaced a few years ago, but the middle floor especially still has all the sign of work done, but not reinstated decoratively. Bring the tradesmen, and a decorator, and maybe an architect too.
On the positive side, it hasn’t been mucked with, so original features like sash windows, tiled and old pine floors, numerous fine fireplaces and decorative plasterwork are all thankfully in situ.
The old-fashioned kitchen to the back is home to an enormous, low-slung black cast iron range. Holmville has two well-proportioned reception rooms to the front, one with elegant bay window, a great place to sit in an armchair and soak up the sun’s rays, and then later in the day turn back to the open fireplace for evening heat (though you might want to put in central heating as well for the in-between winter spells.
No 92 is on the eastern end of a terrace of just three imposing homes, with equally fine homes to either side, and in front, so all in good company, really.
Neighbours have spent willingly on their homes of similar vintage, and more than a few have managed to fit in off-street parking in the front, without compromising architectural integrity.
So it may well be the case here, and indeed any builder tacking the work needed will relish the prospect of getting off the street/road for loading/unloading, skips, storage and parking. The fact there’s almost 100’ of front garden (and a similar amount behind, with raised sun-trap decking) from the preserved front gate and cast iron railing means no diminution in privacy or loss of amenity: quite the opposite, in fact.
VERDICT: A grand old home, in a ‘pleased with itself’ salubrious suburb, showing its age, but more than willing to go again with a bit of cash and a bit more care lavished on it.
Sunday’s Well, Cork
€495,000
2,300 sq ft
5
Pending
Yes
Location and history
