City to County: A redbrick in Sandymount or a stone cottage in Kilgarvan

We view some unique and well-renovated homes in Dublin, Waterford, Limerick and Kerry.

The terrace home on Seafort Villas in Sandyford has a rear extension.

Sandymount, Dublin 4
€525,000
Size	100 sq m ( 1,076 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	D2

QUITE a bit of creativity has gone into the renovation of this handsome redbrick mid-terrace property at 13 Seaford Villas in Sandymount village.

During refurbishments some years ago, the owners of the two-bed house added on a rear extension which not only gave them space for a new kitchen but also allowed them to put a roof terrace above it.

And they built it so that part of the back patio became an internal courtyard and allowed them to have additional windows and light.

Recent tenants also used their creative talents to good effect when they made the repainting of the interior their lockdown project.

Accommodation includes a long timber floored living /dining space which has a patio door opening onto the internal courtyard as well as a corridor leading to a small kitchen fitted with high gloss blue units.

Off the hallway, at the front, there’s a guest WC while the first floor has a bathroom and two bedrooms. Off the larger bedroom, there’s a door to a rooftop patio garden.

Seeking offers of €525,000 Amy Neville Fulena of Vincent Finnegan auctioneers says this is an attractively upgraded property in a particularly convenient spot.

“It’s just 50 metres from Sandymount green and village which has a selection of eateries and amenities. It’s within a short walk from Sandymount strand and Dart station, Ballsbridge village and the Aviva Stadium are close by and it’s just 4 km from Stephen’s Green.” 

VERDICT: Well renovated property with a D4 address 

Lismore, Co Waterford
€435,000
Size	161 sq m (1765 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	C2

ALTHOUGH Lismore is a heritage town filled with period properties, opportunities to buy larger ones such as Dunelm — an end-of-terrace Georgian house on South Mall — are quite rare.

On the market with REA Spratt, it’s a fully refurbished and extended four-bed house which offers views of Lismore castle and the Knockmealdown mountains from a terrace in the gardens at the rear.

“It’s been architecturally redesigned by the current owners who remodelled and extended it in 2009 and spared no expense in the quality of the finish,” says auctioneer Eamonn Spratt quoting a guide of €435,000.

There’s over 1,760 sq ft of living space, which in a sizable extension at the rear, includes a large living room with patio doors opening out onto the terrace as well as a modern kitchen with cream units and granite worktops.

Also on the ground floor are two bedrooms, both overlooking the South Mall through timber sash windows, as well as a bathroom and a utility space.

Upstairs there are a further two front bedrooms which have both been fitted with en suites.

To the side there’s a parking area with an electric gate and to the rear, a well-tended, plant-filled garden with a railed terrace.

“We are already at the guide price and have interest from locals and buyers in Cork City and are also getting enquiries from overseas,” says Mr Spratt. who also highlighted that renovated properties of this size are rare to the market in Lismore.

VERDICT: A spacious, fully modernised period home with solar panels and a C2 BER

Kilgarvan, Co Kerry
€239,000
Size	90 sq m ( 970 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	D2

WISTERIA can be planted to bring good fortune or it can be used, as the owners of this Kilgarvan property have, to create an especially attractive and colourful garden feature.

Wisteria Cottage came into being around 20 years ago when the owners converted and extended a 100-year-old stone outbuilding which used to belong to a nearby farmhouse. In the gardens around it planted not only a cascading purple wisteria tree but also a variety of colourful plants and some cherry blossoms.

The two-bed property is on the market with Sherry FitzGerald Daly with a guide of €239,000. “The owners kept the original stonework and the steps to the hay store and have renovated it with great taste,’’ says auctioneer Elaine Daly pointing out the cottage has scenic views of the Roughty Valley. In the extension at the rear by the wisteria tree there’s both a bathroom and a large high ceilinged kitchen diner with a country-style kitchen. In the older part of the property there’s a living room with a stone fireplace as well as two bedrooms, one of which is upstairs.

Outside the cottage is a fifth of an acre of well-tended gardens and a patio. Located in a quiet rural location almost 1 km from Kilgarvan, Wisteria Cottage is around 9 km from Kenmare.

“So far it’s attracting both local and overseas interest,’’ says Ms Daly, noting it has satellite broadband and will be seen as very attractive by city relocators looking for a scenic rural property.

VERDICT: A quaint and affordable property with a very pretty garden

Cappamore, Co Limerick
€300,000
Size	150 sq m ( 1,615 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	C3

A RURAL hideaway with brick and stone features, exposed beams, feature staircases and a balcony with Galtee views — Firtree Cottage near Cappamore in East Limerick is a highly distinctive and unusual property.

Quoting a guide of €300,000, auctioneer Joe Wheeler says it may well be the nicest cottage he’s ever been in. “It’s an old stone property that was restored and extended by previous owners and redecorated by the current ones.’’ He says the exposed stone and brickwork, balcony, the mezzanine level and timberwork are just some of the features which make it stand out.

The quality of the carpentry can be seen in the staircases — one an open tread one made of logs and the other a spiral one curving its way up to a galleried mezzanine. The space in the original stone cottage has been used to create a high ceilinged kitchen diner with exposed stone and timber and cream country style units. In the extension there’s a sitting room where a redbrick chimney breast and ceiling beams create a traditional appearance.

Large for a cottage, the property has 1,615 sq ft of accommodation including an office, three bedrooms and a bathroom. Above the kitchen there’s a mezzanine area/ and off the bedroom there’s a balcony. Out front there’s a covered balcony — the type of feature everyone wished for in lockdown.

Located near Cappamore, Firtree Cottage is around 26 km from Limerick city.

VERDICT: Rustic and traditional but with modern comforts and high speed broadband too.