City to Country: Dublin 3 mid-terrace or seaside views at €390,000 Crosshaven home

Mix of properties in city and country are tastefully presented, writes Trish Dromey

Tue, 09 May, 2023 - 06:05

Trish Dromey

Drumcondra, Dublin 3
€550,000
Size	96 sq m (1,054 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C3

A handsomely Victorian redbrick property in the heart of Drumcondra, No 55 Millmount Avenue has been sensitively extended, upgraded and brought into the modern day.

The mid-terrace house has kept many of its original features while acquiring a modern kitchen extension and a significantly improved C3 BER.

Seeking offers of €550,000 Eoin O’Toole of Lisney Sotheby’s says this is an utterly charming property which was lovingly modernised by current owners in 2019. It has high ceilings with some original coving and fireplaces in addition to sash-style windows with plantation shutters and Victorian-style radiations.

The ground floor is taken up with a long open-plan living area which includes an old-world sitting room with cornicing and a fireplace at the front, a dining space with a solid-fuel stove in the middle and a modern kitchen with cream units and a Belfast sink at the rear.

On the first floor return there’s a contemporary bathroom and there are two bedrooms, one at the front one at the rear, both with timber flooring and original cast-iron fireplaces. On the street at the front, the property has a gravel garden with paving and decking at the rear.

Located close to shops, restaurants and amenities in Drumcondra and also to Griffith Park, the property is within a short bus ride from the city centre.

VERDICT: Given its location and condition, high levels of interest are expected.

Killaloe, Co Clare
€400,000
Size	122 sq m (1,313 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	C1

Although No 5 Lakeshore Marina in Killaloe was built as a holiday home, its attractions, which include river views and mooring facilities, are now proving appealing to quite a diverse range of buyers.

“Dublin relocators, Limerick city commuters and retirees are among those showing an interest,” says John Phelan of Harry Bran auctioneers explaining that the gated waterside development of 10 houses and six apartments, built for holidays in the 1990s, is now 90% owner-occupied.

No 5 itself is an owner-occupied three-bed semi which was thoroughly modernised in 2019.

“The owner converted the attic, upgraded heating, put in new flooring, bathrooms and a high-quality German kitchen,” reveals Mr Phelan quoting a guide of €400,000.

Downstairs it has a modern open plan kitchen living room with contemporary dark grey kitchen units and a guest WC and the first floor has a modern bathroom and three bedrooms including one with an en suite and a balcony overlooking the Shannon.

In the attic there’s a utility room and a room with large Velux windows.

In the development near the house there’s a small private marina in which the owner of the house has mooring rights. “This is quite a unique bonus,” observes Mr Phelan.

Located at Clarisford, the property is within a short walk from Killaloe and is 22km from Limerick City. A nearby property at No 2 sold early last year for €400,000, €75,000 above its guide, to a relocating buyer.

VERDICT: Offers modern accommodation, river views, and the possibility of boating.

Ballyheigue, Co Kerry
€350,000
Size	215 sq m (2,315 sq ft)
Bedrooms	6
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

A very substantial offering for its €350,000 guide, this renovated cottage near Ballyheigue has six bedrooms, two stables and a fireplace made with 200-year-old bricks from Mountjoy Prison.

Comprehensively modernised and extended in the 1980s, it’s listed with Daire McCann of DNG Giles who says it’s perfect for a city relocator who likes the idea of owning a spacious home on an acre within a few kilometres from the sea.

“For this type of property, we can expect viewers from Dublin, Cork, and Limerick,” she says, noting that it’s just 3km from Ballyheigue Beach and has distant views of the sea from the garden.

Now a modern dormer home with 215 sq m of living space, it has kept a few cottage features including rough-plastered walls in the hallway, old-style timber doors, and ceiling beams in some bedrooms.

At the front there’s a substantial sitting room with reclaimed timber flooring and a raised fireplace made with bricks which the owners say originally came from Mountjoy prison. Also at ground level the property has a large modern kitchen, a bathroom, a bedroom and a playroom. The upper floor has a bathroom, a home office and five more bedrooms.

Outside there are lawned gardens with a patio and decking as well as a paddock and an outbuilding with four stables.

Located at Ballyronan within a five-minute drive of Ballyheigue, it is 20km from Tralee.

VERDICT: Has everything a city buyer could require for a lifestyle change.

Crosshaven, Co Cork
€390,000
Size	162 sq m (1,730 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

Schooner House in Crosshaven village is a former cafe which has been transformed into a stylish and quirky three-bed home.

Seeking offers of €390,000, Roy Dennehy of Dennehy auctioneers, says the owners who carried out the work around 10 years ago have redesigned it cleverly and added a two storey extension at the rear.

“As part of the redesign they put the main living space on the first floor which allowed them to make the most of the attractive harbour views,” he reveals.

A terraced house which was probably built over 100 years ago and has been extended at both front and rear, it now has 162 sq m of living space and a C1 BER.

In the ground-floor space which used to house the cafe there’s now a spacious living room/playroom with large windows, terrazzo flooring and a solid-fuel stove.

At the rear there’s a utility room as well as a bedroom and a bathroom.

At the top of the stairs there’s a bright open-plan oak-floored living room with a vaulted ceiling, Velux windows and large windows with views across the harbour.