House of the week: Convenience at its best in Cork

Price: €335,000
Size: 89.59sq m/953sq ft
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1
BER: C3

IF YOU’RE soccer-mad, rugby-mad, a glutton for DIY, or for a McDonalds, 45 Mercier Park in Turners Cross could be the home for you.

Even if none of the above are on your house-hunt checklist, there is no getting away from the convenience of living that this house represents.

With one toe dipped in the city and another within touching distance of the Kinsale Roundabout where weekend escape routes radiate in all directions, it really is a prime spot to hang your hat.

Number 45, otherwise known as ‘Roncalli’ - most likely after Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli aka Pope John XXIII, whose reign roughly coincided with the 1950s era in which this bungalow was built — it comes with words of great comfort. According to the brochure, “it wants for absolutely nothing and is ready for immediate occupation without any further expense”.

That’s music to the ears of most buyers, and explains the price gulf between ‘Roncalli’, guiding at €335,000, while a stone’s throw away, No. 25 Mercier Park is on the market for €80,000 less.

James G Coughlan and Associates are the auctioneers presiding over both sales and selling agent Barry Smith explains that ‘Roncalli’s’ guide price is “reflective of the money spent on it”.

“It’s a walk-in job,” he says. “It’s a fair price that reflects all the work that was done. Number 25, on the other hand, is a project.”

‘Roncalli’ is a walk-in in more ways than one. The current owners already have a new home to go to “so possession won’t be a problem”, Barry says. “The buyer won’t be waiting for them to move out.”

So what will the buyer be getting and who is the house most suited to?

First-time buyers and those thinking of downsizing, Barry says. Or a ‘gentleman’s family’ which technically means those who’ve produced a male heir to the throne and a sister to make up the numbers.

The current owners have been in situ since around 2010 and carried out extensive renovations, from re-wiring, to re-plumbing, to re-plastering, to installing solid oak floors, and more. The house has also been underpinned.

A kitchen extension with vaulted pitch-pine ceiling was already in place prior to the 2010 owners moving in.

What the buyer will find this time around is a charming, well-kept three bedroom bungalow with an extremely generous family/dining/living space measuring 26ft x 12ft, from which patio doors lead out on to - yes, you’ve guessed - a lovely patio to the rear with no fear of being overlooked while tucking into that McMuffin.

The rear garden is west-facing which should make for enjoyable viewing of sunsets. And there’s a garden tap, which for anyone with even a passing interest in cultivation is a godsend. It has the added advantage of allowing outside cleaning of football boots and wetsuits. This is good. Trust me.

The semi-detached bungalow boasts two magnificent marble and cast iron fireplaces, one fitted with a wood-burning stove, while the dining room has an open fireplace.

The Master bedroom has sliderobes that stretch the width of the room and bedroom number two also has slide robes.

The attic is partly floored and can be used for storage.

Outside, the gardens to the front and the rear are mature and beautifully planted and there is off-street parking for two cars. Horse-shoe-shaped Mercier Park is effectively a cul-de-sac because only those who reside there are likely to drive through.

Given its excellent qualities, Barry is hopeful of an early sale. “It’s on the market two weeks and we’ve had people back for second viewings. There’s strong interest and I am confident of bringing it to a successful conclusion soon.”

VERDICT: It lives up to the most repeated phrase in real estate: Location, location, location. Supermarkets, DIY shops, sports grounds and bus services abound. If thoughts of DIY brings you out in hives, this little gem requires nothing more than new owners.