House of the week

FOR SALE signs have been falling like felled timber on the Douglas Road in the last year, as the southern city’s older suburbs show all the signs of market recovery and stabilisation. Replacing the signs are those proclaiming ‘Sale Agreed’, and then ‘Sold’.

Now, though, there’s a fresh ‘For Sale’ sign on this popular inner suburban route, by the edge of Ballincurrig Park, and the likelihood is that it won’t be up for long, given its attributes.

Woodfield is a four-bed semi in immaculate order on a corner site with sun room and south-facing back garden: with good plant screening in front, it’s going to have a wide appeal, and healthy viewings.

It may suit those trading down from larger homes and who want to be near all services, while the four bedrooms gives it an immediate appeal too to families, especially those looking to get closer to the city from Cork’s outer fringes.

Some of the city’s most attractive Edwardian and Arts and Crafts houses are directly across the road, on big sites which stretch back to the Douglas swimming pool and public amenity park complex with playing fields. There are bus stops here too, facing one another by the Ardfallen Mall Spar shop and clinic complex by the Briar Rose bar and restaurant, while national schools like Eglantine and St Anthony’s cater for the needs of small girls and boys.

Selling agent for Woodfield is Johnny O’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald, who guides the 1,400 sq ft home at €395,000 and who says it’s particularly bright, in an ace location, has been underpinned and is in walk-in condition.

Woodfield was built in the 1940s by Hegartys, and there’s a bit of distinction in the design and detailing, such as in the handy front vestibule with pristine varnished hardwood outer door and arched window.

The original steel windows have been replaced with double glazing, which keeps faith with the original pane sizes, and frames are tall, flooding rooms inside with light, front and back — brightness seems to come naturally to it.

It’s all in immaculate order, without being over renovated, and a sun room to the back is a spot-on addition to the kitchen, done by builder/architect Rowan Ackland with attractive small French clay tiles on its pitched roof. It opens up the whole house to a decent depth, without eating up all the sheltered back garden space.

There are screened sun terraces either side of the sun room/dining room, and two matching sized reception rooms, one to the front with open oak fireplace and corniced ceiling done by Neffs, and a broad, original cream tiled fireplace in the back room.

The hall has its original narrow strip oak floor, the kitchen’s original ORM units have been carefully hand-painted, with cream Metro-tile splashback, and the room’s ringed around by a discrete high level feature shelf painted to match the units. Keeping this hard-working kitchen nice and bright is a gable window with glimpses to the front gate, just enough of a view for interest without compromising privacy.

Three of the upstairs bedrooms are doubles, there’s a smart bathroom with cast iron bath and small white wall tiles, and the house’s slightly skewed or set-back floor plan allows for an extra window over the stairwell. Several similar vintage Ballincurrig homes have done sizeable extensions, and this corner site still allows for that, with detached garage with a very useful utility/laundry room to its rear.

The south-facing back garden is fully enclosed, and it’s clear that the owner’s garden proud as well as house proud, with camellias and other flowering shrubs around the perimeter.

VERDICT: Perfect as it is, or extendable, Woodfield is a spotless home in a cracking location.