Cover story: A delight in Déise market’s upper end

There’s almost 3,000 sq ft of living space at this Waterford family home — and not a single square foot is shabby.

Extended, re-worked and all upgraded to a very high overall standard, No 47 Summerville Avenue is one of the most comfortable family homes to come to market in the city in years, say agents Purcell Properties — and that’s reflected in the €525,000 asking price.

Only a few weeks on the market, as the owners have bought another project, No 47 dates to the 1950s, it’s already had over a half-dozen viewings and is clearly impressing the early visitors, says Conor Purcell, who adds the gardens have been planted for year-round colour to match the house’s design ethos.

It was initially done up about 16 years ago by its current owners, who then did a second, far more ambitious job, about six years ago.

Its front facade onto Summerville Avenue only hints at what’s going on behind, with twin-wing extensions sheltering a south-east aspected rear patio, by a stepped terrace, just one of three outdoor seating/patios spaces.

The location, says Mr Purcell, is ace, just off the Newtown Road, with a wide range of schools, and that’s important for those looking here as it’s most likely going to be a family home for a number of formative years of child rearing.

The extra-wide hall door, in hardwood with glass side panels, sets a tone from the get-go, and once past it, the maple and glass balustered stairs with marble tiled floor continues the use of simple, pared-back quality materials.

The top floor now has five bedrooms, with two en suites, and the master bedroom is high-end, with large sleeping quarters, dressing room/optional bedroom/nursery, and a bathroom with walls and floor all tiled in dark-veined bronze and brown marbles.

This bathroom, another en suite and a bedroom all feature electrically-operated skylight windows.

Downstairs, there are three reception rooms, the larger two are towards the rear, and the main 18’ by 16’ one has a gas-fired cast-iron stove on raised plinth, and a wide set of French doors with fanlight giving access to the gardens.

The other side of this great room has a feature, curved glass block wall connecting it visually to the hall.

No 47 has a number of one-off touches, such as a hefty hand-made timber fireplace surround in the kitchen/dining room, fashioned by interior joiner Seán O’Hare in Tramore, again with a gas fuel insert, a strong match for the adjoining kitchen’s restrained shaker-style beech units, with black granite tops.

Other distinctive features include some stained glass strip panels, a feature porthole window upstairs, other doors have clear glass mid-sections for extra brightness, and several radiators are practically floor-to-ceiling height, for high heat output.

Add to the equation things like windows all having the same, sympathetic-to-the-original-era horizontal glazing bars, recessed and wall-mounted LED lighting and garden lighting, CCTV and very private gardens, all in a great location within a walk of Waterford city centre, and the numbers begin to stack up at No 47.

VERDICT: A fine house, in a great location, this will be a test of Waterford city’s upper-end market strength.