Trading up: Blackrock Road, Cork: €385,000

Much of the best of the old was kept when the new broom came in for an energy efficiency upgrade at Cork’s 42 Marina Park a few years ago. 

Things like the hall’s terrazzo floor got to stay, as did the original 1930s cast iron bath: quite incredibly, the 80-year old house scored a B3 energy rating in a recent survey.

The owner spent very heavily on adding to its comforts, and it now has a modern tiled bathroom with separate shower plus original bath, the kitchen has been refitted, with oak units, insulation has been enhanced and there’s a modern condenser boiler, so it’s a comfortable buy, says estate agent Mark Gosling of Behan Irwin Gosling.

The man who did the work has since died, and now No 42 is for sale with a €385,000 asking price, which reflect its overall condition, as well as the supreme handiness of the location: it’s next to Kennedy Park, at the city end of the Blackrock Road, so is a short walk to the city centre, to trendy cafes and bars, and to the city’s major new office block One Albert Quay, which is racing ahead in construction and likely to be fully-let on completion next spring.

In contrast to that office glass block, No 42’s charms are understated, and it hasn’t been extended, so the rooms’ tally is quite modest at two receptions, kitchen, three bedrooms (one with window bay) and main bathroom.

No 51, Marina Park came to market last year at €350,000, with a great modern rear extension and open-plan layout, and it sold after strong viewings and bids, making €390,000.

VERDICT: Berth down at Marina Park