Much to laud at family-friendly Lauderdale, Douglas, for €895,000

Well-located Loreto Park detached has hosted parties for all ages and is ready to play host now to a new family

Sat, 20 Aug, 2022 - 00:00

Property Editor Tommy Barker reports Pictures John Roche

Douglas, Cork
€895,000
Size	241 sq m (2,600 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	4
BER	D1

Families looking for a city home with space inside, and outside, for entertaining, fun, games, gardening, parties, pranks and “prinks” might want to cast an (envious) eye over Lauderdale — it rocks.

Tall to the back: Lauderdale's is now a three story home

Built in the mid-1940s, and through only a handful of ownerships since, the detached five-bed home at the entrance into Loreto Park from Cork’s Cross Douglas Road last changed hands in 2002, and then the improvements started, going through the roof, quite literally.

The buyers at the time, with three young children, had to do a job on Lauderdale’s roof, and while they were looking at that job in hand, they saw scope to add a proper, planning-compliant second floor, now home to an en suite fifth bedroom and a storage room all under the new, higher cap.

“It was the perfect princess spot,” quip the owners who allocated this on-high eagle’s nest bedroom suite to their fortunate daughter when she was little — sparking images of a little Rapunzel in her tower.

The space created up top isn’t glimpsed in any way from the front but this home’s height and scale jumps into even sharper relief when seen from behind, from the very long and multi-purpose back garden. It’s tall, and accommodating, within and without.

Big back garden with 2021-installed deck

The garden has been used as a tennis court during Wimbledon, or as a soccer pitch when big games, the Euros or the World Cup are on. In quieter, less-frenetic times, the upgraded rear deck (a 2021 job) is pressed into service for sitting out, meals and more.

Original owners had hailed from Clonmel in Tipperary where they had a house called Lauderdale: perhaps they got the name from a district in the Scottish Borders’ Lauderdale, rather than Florida’s Fort Lauderdale....where, FYI, where median prices are $575k, up 30% in the past year.

Bay window in front living room. Interior designer Joan Fitzgerald of Reflect Interiors had a role in the decor

Cork’s Lauderdale is priced at €895,000 by estate agent Jennifer Roe of Casey & Kingston on its Florida-like Irish heatwave August 2022 launch, and she’s selling for the family who bought 20 years ago and who are now trading down, relocating towards the coast south of the city.

They’d moved in from Cork’s outer suburbs by Garryduff for an easy life, to be close to schools, and buses, and shops and services, within a walk of the city too and as easy to get to Douglas village by foot or other transport options, bike or bus.

Rear garden access from a second reception room

It was a life decision that paid off over the intervening two decades, and their home became party central for years; used by friends of all ages, from birthday parties to garden games, to prinks with mates before nights out as older offspring, and with assorted friends “crashing” hours later, only to be discovered the day after, all present and accounted for.

“The house needs a new family now to make best use of it,” says the woman of the house — who has one adult child still in Ireland and two in the UK — as packing-up time comes around. Agents Casey & Kingston can expect a busy demand for viewings given its walk-in condition, space, and up to five bedrooms.

The location too is key — sort of halfway between the city and Douglas, with Loreto Park a quiet setting off the sometimes congested Cross Douglas Road.

It follows the arrival of Rosnalee, an immaculate 1,620 sq ft, three-bed detached home of the same period at Eglantine off the Douglas Road priced at €775,000 by agent Michael McKenna. Also, a month ago, a lovely 1,550 sq ft semi-d, Knocknagow on the main Douglas Road, came on the market guided at €625,000 by Lisney/SIR and was bid to €650,000.

Meanwhile, a do-er up with huge scope also in this area — Issoudoun, in Woolhara Park — came from sale in mid-July with a €750,000 AMV quoted by Hugh McPhillips of Marshs for the dated 2,700 sq ft house, and the dated but detached 1,275 sq ft Edan, on a corner site in Loreto Park which had a summer €525k AMV via Cohalan Downing has gone sale agreed for c €600,000.

Sale agreed at c €600k is Edan Loreto Park

Thus, those looking to buy into this prime mid-stretch along and off the two Douglas roads have had choice, and now there’s Lauderdale to add to the frisson of choice for those with funds.

Much to laud: Lauderdale has more space within that you'd suspect from the front

Jennifer Roe says the 2,600 sq ft property is “a beautiful five-bed — two en suite — three-storey family home in a fantastic location, within walking distance of all amenities including schools, shops and sports facilities. Lovingly cared for and extended by its current owners who now feel it is time to give another lucky family the opportunity of living here”. The south-facing front facade shows deep soffits and eaves over a painted dash exterior, with two-storey bay and latticed glazing.

There’s a polished oak staircase, laminate floored hall, double-aspect kitchen/diner with painted units, metro tiles, terracotta-tiled floor, and two reception rooms with fireplaces, well decorated with finishes overseen by Joan Fitzgerald of Reflect Interiors.

Also at ground level is a family room/den with garden access, a utility with access to an attached garage, which also has front and back garden access. The first floor has four bedrooms (one en suite), and main family bathroom. The top floor has a gable end window, and Velux over the en suite, plus storage room/study with two more Veluxes.

There’s gas central heating with a new boiler (18 months old), double glazing, and a D1 BER, with off-street parking on a brick-paved front drive for several cars.

VERDICT: Much to laud at Lauderdale.