Back to the future in Cork's Ballintemple for €950,000

Dating to the 1850s, this 5-bed has potential to become something far grander.

2 Barringtons Avenue Ballintemple Cork city

Ballintemple, Cork City
€950,000
Size	249 sq m (2,680 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	2
BER	G

A significant makeover can be expected at the well-kept and well-named Ballintemple House, a detached vintage home at the Blackrock Road end of the cul de sac, Barrington’s Avenue.

Dating to the 1850s, the 249 sq m five-bed home has been a ‘mere’ 40 years or so in the same family’s ownership, but now is set for a change on several fronts, after a listing with agent Stuart O’Grady of Sherry Fitzgerald, who guides at €950,000.

And, it’s a racing certainty that whoever buys will spend quite bit more on it, perhaps €250k? €500k? Maybe even seek to largely rebuild it, though it has done sterling service as it stands?

It’s all about location, of course, and we’re right in the heart of Ballintemple, along the city to Blackrock village, a stretch of truly prime Cork real estate.

A period detached house down the far end on very large grounds, Ardeen, shows on the Price Register from 2020 at €1.45m. A charming c 250 sq m bungalow called Sleepy Hollow on lovingly tended gardens which featured here in summer 2002 at €925,000, shows as a sale at €890,000, and also just sold is Glenarouske, a 1980s one-off of c 158 sq m by Lisnalee which featured here a few months back, also ‘sale agreed’ at €890,000, sold by Sherry Fitz’s Mr O’Grady.

And, on the main Blackrock road’s ‘golden mile, €1m-plus sales are almost ten a penny....one period home even now looks gilded.

Mr O’Grady can expect some familiar-looking viewers back here, especially those with more to spend over and above the asking price of Ballintemple House (an identically-named home on the Blackrock Road is currently getting a major investment.)

Unusual in that it has two front doors and no back door because its back wall is the site boundary, all of the private gardens here of about quarter of an acre are to the front, west facing with a south aspect also to the garden portion, for those thinking of extending or reconfiguring, or more.

It’s set just in on the right-hand side of Barringtons Avenue, which runs down to the Atlantic Pond, just past a large modern home facing the main Blackrock Road and right now it has three reception rooms plus office, kitchen, utility, shower room, five bedrooms, two bathrooms, gas central heating, and an F BER.

VERDICT: It has an old-world charm, but also has potential to become something far grander.