A second chance with a charming city classic

No 4 Rockview Terrace has been lovingly updated and offers spectacular views of the city, says

Sat, 21 Apr, 2018 - 01:00

No 4 Rockview Terrace has been lovingly updated and offers spectacular views of the city, says

Tommy Barker

IS it, or isn’t it the same house as a few years ago? Well, yes, and no, and mostly yes. No 4 Rockview Terrace, on a cul de sac off Cork’s Montenotte Road, might looks similar to its last market outing back in 2015, but it has since had a change of ownership, had subtle changes made, lots of painting, colour, and decorative alterations, and it has all the signs now of being a much-enjoyed home for its young family of occupants for its last two years.

When No 4 came for sale, in 2015 priced at €350,000, it was a bloody good home for a period, terraced pad dating to 1850, and it had been in the same owner’s hands since 1960 (she reckoned she was possibly Montenotte’s longest serving resident!) Listed then with agent Jeremy Murphy, the four-storey home got intense viewings, and ended up in competitive bidding, making €420,000 by early 2016, according to the Price Register.

It purchasers were a young Irish couple who’d worked and lived in London; then they worked and rented in Dublin; then rented in Cork, while they went on a home hunt, prowling around spots like Sundays Well and Montenotte, for a south-facing house of character, with views.

They found it all, at 4 Rockview on quiet Montenotte Road, reached down a quirky, winding, corkscrew hill from the more straightforward Middle Glanmire Road above (it’s twists are best suited to small cars for easiest access!) They’d babies in hand at the time, now school and creche days have arrived, and both can work from home, she in finance, he in IT, so they made good use of every inch of No 4’s four floors, and 2,310 sq ft, plus sheltered tall feature terrace courtyard, and put in play equipment in the garden as they put down roots.

However, quicker than expected, they are on the move again, and are set to build from scratch, in Co Limerick, near family: the joys of being able to work in good-paying jobs, from home, thanks to technology.

Just as good as 2015 when it proved so popular, it’s back for sale, once more with agent Jeremy Murphy & Associates, guided this spring 2018 at a modest increase of €30k over its last ‘15/’16 sale figure, at €450,000.

Lots of original internal architectural features remain, in this oil-centrally heated home with feature round-headed windows, and accommodation includes interlinked ground floor family living/dining and porcelain-floored kitchen, with retained old brick arch and modern units, hand painted, plus guest WC with feature hand basin and a glass spout tap.

French doors lead behind to a enclosed courtyard terrace, with steep steps up to a pedestrian gate on the Middle Glanmire Road just past the massively revamped Montenotte Hotel and by Leycester’s Avenue, while in front there’s a separate and enclosed sunny garden with shed and children’s climbing frame, just across the short terrace’s access lane.

Back inside, there’s lovely first floor living room with high ceilings, varnished original floorboards, other period trim and an open fireplace in an old white marble surround.

Behind is a rear bedroom, used as a children’s playroom with mural, and there’s a WC on the second floor return, plus hide away shower off the stairs en route.

The top two floors have three more bedrooms, two with en suite bathrooms, and the from main bedroom has twin arched windows an city views, with concealed walk-in robes and shower room.

The top level feature attic bedroom (used currently as a home office) has exposed timber trusses, dormer window with No 4’s best views over the Lee and docks, with new city development and offices inching its way into former industrial location at an increasing pace.

Behind this lofty eyrie, with its box window and second Velux, there’s a top-notch private bathroom with double-ended stand-alone bath, and who knows how it managed to make its heavyweight way all the up to this height in previous ownership.

VERDICT: A second chance to buy, in a niche hillside and south-facing setting with views, within a walk of St Luke’s Cross, and of Cork city centre itself, while also easily reached are the Tivoil road, via Lovers Walk, and the north city ring road.