Waterford bungalow provides hygge and bliss

Trish Dromey visits an attractive bungalow in delightful Tramore

Rathmore at Knocknarea in Tramore
• Price: €320,000
• Size: 96:sq m
• Bedrooms: Three
• Bathrooms: One
• BER: Pending

Two-thirds cute period cottage, and one-third stylish modern extension, Rathmore at Knocknarea in Tramore, Co Waterford, is much more attractive and interesting that the average bungalow.

Located within a 15-minute walk from the town’s well-known strand, the three-bed detached property is tucked away in a cul de sac of eleven 1930’s-built bungalows which must have been identical once but have significantly changed by alterations and extensions over the years.

Because Rathmore/ No 4 hasn’t been extended at the side and because it still has box-style windows and its original brickwork at the front, it has managed to kept its cute cottage-style frontage. Inside, its picture- railed rooms have some original features and are well-kept and old world. That is except for the spacious architect-designed, cathedral-ceilinged kitchen living room extension which was added on in 2012.

The family who bought it the year before this, say it was a well-kept, well-preserved holiday home when they found it, though a bit too small for their needs.

The small, previously added-on kitchen extension was demolished to make way for new kitchen-living area with space for family living. “We asked the architect to make it bright and airy”, says the owner whose wish was granted by addition of an extra large set of sliding patio doors and a roof light in the high-vaulted ceiling.

A large modern space with some exposed beams and grey walls, it has a solid oak kitchen with large handless doors which were made by the owner’s cabinetmaker father. In the living area a Danish wood- burning stove adds a little hygge.

In the older part of the house the owners redecorated without making major changes although they did upgrade the bathroom, giving it a more contemporary look.

Behind one of the box windows at the front is a traditional-style sitting room with varnished timber flooring and a tiled fireplace which is possibly original. The second bay window belongs to the largest bedroom which also has picture rails and varnished floor boards Beyond this there are two other bedrooms, one with painted floorboards and an original cast iron fireplace and there is also a small utility area at the rear.

Now extended to 1,033 sq ft, the bungalow has double- glazed PVC in the older part and aluclad double-glazed windows in the newer part. It has oil-fired heating with zoned controls.

Out front, Rathmore has a tarmac parking area with a small rockery which looks original and, at the rear, it has a hedge-enclosed lawn for playing and a decked area off the kitchen/ living room.

Quoting €320,000, selling agents Property Partners Barry Herterich say that this location, off Priest’s Road, is considered to be one of Tramore’s most desirable residential areas.

“A short stroll from the town centre it’s within walking distance of Tramore’s beautiful 5km beach as well as Doneraile Walk and Newtown Cove.”

Because it’s a tastefully renovated single-storey property in a mature residential cul de sac, he says the property has unsurprisingly been attracting attention from downsizers who want to spend their retirement near the sea. It has also been attracting attention from first-time buyers from Waterford city.

Mr Herterich says detached bungalows of this size in this price range are quite rare to the market in Tramore.

A look at the Property Price Register seems to show very few of the bungalows in the Knocknarea cul de sac have changed hands recently. Only two sales are listed, one is of an unspecified property which sold for €250,000 in 2018.

VERDICT: An attractive mix of old and new likely to be at least one buyer’s idea of bungalow bliss.