A cottage in Stoneybatter or a three-bed on Roaringwater Bay: What €425,000 can get you

City to County: Comparing urban living and rural retreats in Dublin, West Cork, Lahinch and Dungarvan

25 Ross St, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 has been extensively renovated.

Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
€425,000
Size	74 sq m(790 sq ft)
Bedrooms	1
Bathrooms	1
BER	B3

Prettily cute on the outside and stylishly modern on the inside, No 25 Ross Road, in Stoneybatter Dublin 7 shows just how well a small period cottage can be made to look.

Selling agents DNG Phibsboro received immediate bids on the one-bed mid-terrace 1900s built property and its €425,000 guide price was exceeded within days.

The pretty pink door on the extensively renovated cottage opens into a contemporary open plan kitchen dining/living area with polished concrete flooring and a full wall of stylish handless teal kitchen units. Described by auctioneer Michelle Keeley as a show stopper, the room is cleverly designed to include a seating/ TV watching space that is situated at a slightly lower level and is partially enclosed by a low wall.

To the rear, the cottage has an upgraded bathroom and bedroom with fitted wardrobes with patio doors opening on to a small garden area.

A suspended staircase leads to the attic which has four Velux windows and has been turned into an attractive nursery.

Ms Keeley says that the level of interest isn’t just due to the stylish redesign and its upgraded B3 BER rating, but also to its excellent location.

"The Phoenix Park and amenities which include Dublin Zoo and Farmleigh Estate is only a short stroll away while Smithfield village is on your doorstep,” she says pointing out that there are good public transport links to the city centre.

VERDICT: Small, but stylish and well thought out.

Skehanore East, West Cork
€425,000
Size	137 sq m ( 1,480 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	D2

Relocators in search of a coastal West Cork home will appreciate the views of Roaringwater Bay on offer at this attractively revamped bungalow at Skehanore East near Ballydehob.

“You have fantastic views of Roaringwater Bay and you can see across to Jeremy Irons’ castle at Kilkoe, reveals Colm Cleary of James Lyons O’Keeffe auctioneers, explaining that the interest in the three-bed detached property is coming from holiday home hunters and relocators in both Ireland and the UK.

Located a little less than 4km from Ballydehob, the bungalow, which has over half an acre of gardens, is new to the market with a guide of €425,000. Since buying the 1990s’ built property last year the owners have been busy. “They put in a stylish contemporary kitchen, fitted new storage units in the bedrooms and the utility room and also painted the whole house white,’’ says Mr Cleary, adding that new additions in the garden include a patio and a large shed/workshop.

Offering close to 1,480 sq ft of living space, the property has a spacious high ceilinged sunroom at one side as well as a generous sized living/dining/kitchen area upgraded with modern units painted with Farrow & Ball shaded white. The bungalow also has a utility room, a bathroom and three bedrooms including one with an en suite.

Located around 1km from the coast, the property is 14km from Skibbereen. 

VERDICT: Properties in the vicinity of Roaringwater Bay always attract good attention.

Lahinch, Co. Clare
€399,000
Size	167 sq m (1,800 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	4
BER	C3

Although No 5 Hillcrest at Dough near Lahinch was built as a holiday home, the three-bed detached bungalow is now looking rather attractive to city buyers looking to take up permanent residence close to the west coast.

“All the interest so far is coming from buyers who want a family home – we are getting viewings from buyers in Limerick and Dublin as well as some local ones,’’ says Douglas Hurley of DNG O’Sullivan Hurley, noting that Lahinch’s residential popularity has surged since the pandemic.

On the market with a guide of €399,000, it was built in 2002 and offers 1,800 sq ft of living space.

Mr Hurley says the property has been upgraded to a high standard by the current owners who bought it ten years ago.

“They redecorated and added on a fantastic sunroom at the rear.” Located at Dough, 2 km from Lahinch, No 5 is one of a number of individually built properties in Hillcrest and has half an acre of landscaped gardens.

Accommodation includes a sitting room, a kitchen diner with timber units, a utility room, a guest WC, a bathroom and three bedrooms, including two en suites.

To the rear there’s a very substantial sunroom with full-length windows, a double set of sliding doors, vaulted ceiling with eight roof lights and scenic views of the surrounding countryside.

VERDICT: Its proximity to the beach, the surf and the golf links should prove a strong selling point.

Dungarvan, Co Waterford
€345,000
Size	194 sq m (2,088 sq ft) including garage
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	D1

Spacious enough for trade-up buyers and affordable enough for a young couple, View Mount House at Ballinamuck, Dungarvan, is a four-bed bungalow with a guide of €345,000.

Selling agents Sherry FitzGerald Reynolds say the 1970s built property has been extensively renovated by current owners who rearranged the layout to make it open plan and put in modern cream units and timber glass panelled doors in the kitchen.

“It’s in pristine condition and is spacious and modern with 1,400 sq ft of accommodation as well as an integral garage with over 600 sq ft of additional space which could potentially be converted into an office or a workshop,’’ says auctioneer Cormac Curran.

Offering just under half an acre of mature gardens, Mount View House is located 2.5 km from Dungarvan. Its accommodation includes a lounge, a kitchen/diner, a small utility room as well as four bedrooms and a bathroom. A new owner will probably consider converting the garage and putting in an additional bathroom.

Mr Curran says View Mount House is already attracting interest from first-time buyers as well as from buyers looking for space to work from home.

“It’s just a five-minute drive from Dungarvan town centre and 40 minutes from Waterford and is scenically located with elevated views across to Curachan Hill,” he adds.

VERDICT: It’s modern and spacious and within a 15-minute drive from Clonea Beach.