House of the week: Douglas village €335,000

Size: Sq m 116 (1,250 sq ft)

IT goes to show how secular society has become that on hearing the name of this house, Villa Marie, as many people will think of a similar-sounding popular white wine, as will translate it as the House of Mary.

This semi-detached four-bed home is new to market this weekend with agent Brian Olden of Cohalan Downing and will get many, many drive-by viewings today and tomorrow: in fact, if you’re in and around Cork’s Douglas village at any time, it’s almost impossible to miss....it’s one of the closest semis or family homes to the epicentre of ‘the village.’

Likely to date to the 1930s, all was serene back in that day, with an old tennis club pavilion just 50 yards away on the other side of the Well Road junction. Today? There’s two shopping centres, banks and bars, shops and cafes, a flyover, astro turf soccer pitches — and the tennis club’s still vibrant, only set back further behind the Well Road.

Villa Marie comes for sale with a €335,000 price tag, and that’s a level within a lot of buyers’ reach right now, while the sheer convenience of the location will guarantee lively interest.

Factor into the equation the fact that it’s on a very wide site with immediate extension potential on its city side, and this will broaden the appeal even more. (A nearby fully re-done, and larger modern semi-d in the same Douglas Road stretch made a reported €492,000 in 2012, well above its €460k guide and signalled one of the first returns of buying confidence in the suburb at the time.)

Villa Marie is quite typical of its era of build, solid and square and with a bit of extra height in the ceilings, and while it’s currently not overly huge, it doesn’t really scrimp on space: even the entrance hall is a bit wider than the norm, and has kept its original Victorian-style tiles right through.

It’s been a rental property for quite a while, albeit a very well tended one, and is clean and bright, with a recently added kitchen with cream units, and the bathroom with shower was done about the same time.

Each of the two reception rooms has held onto its original painted slate and cast iron fireplaces, the front room’s got a bay window and the back one’s got a door to the back garden/yard, and overhead are four bedrooms, two with long banks of built-ins.

It probably needs an injection of personality to make it a family home for new occupants, as it currently is all painted the same cream colour, and all carpets are identical. But, the upside is that it’s all easy enough to move into straight away and do changes later on as a buyer wishes and budgets allow.

There’s about 1,250 sq ft as it stands, with enough space on the side for a major extension, or even to build another house, although planning for another build would be unlikely as another entrance close to the traffic light at the Well Road/south ring off-ramp would be frowned upon.

As it stands, there’s mature gardens to the left, a Barna shed is hidden away, and there’s a patio area, but not a lot of private garden space to the rear. Given the sunny aspect in front, you’d be inclined to build a glazed wing or wrap-around on the side.

VERDICT: The location’s bullet-proof and the house is ready to grow.