Trading up: Douglas, Cork €390,000

It’s not yet extended or added to in any significant way, but Marneil holds promise for all of that now - or in a few years time - , and is good enough and clean enough to move into straight away. 

And, as its two ground floor reception rooms already interlink, it’s got a floor plan that suits modern family day living.

The 1950s-style three-bed semi is in a quiet section of a series of estates, at Browningstown West, off the Douglas and Ballinlough roads, near Eglantine Girls’ NS: the quality of the location is probably why estate agent Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald guides the 1,075 sq ft original home at €390k on launch.

It’s very clean, and bright, with original oak strip floors in the hall, and has sanded and varnished floorboards in the linked living rooms, with cast iron fireplace in the front room, and patio doors to the rear garden in the back one.

The kitchen’s separate, but is bright and shows well, with painted units, and has retained an old brick fireplace as a visual feature, painted cream to match the walls.

Upstairs is a standard three-bed layout, two doubles and a single, again nicely presented and holding that cliched (yet real) promise of potential.

VERDICT: There’s scope to extend to the side, where there’s a detached garage, and even a 15-minute drive around neighbouring estates will yield plenty of ideas from other upgrades as to what sort of extensions fit well in similar homes of this vintage.