City to Country: Colourful urban living in Rialto or rural escape in €495k Wexford cottage

City, country, and coastal living options are checked out by Trish Dromey

Woodcutter’s Cottage at Barnlands near Gorey in Co Wexford

Rialto, Dublin 8
€375,000
Size	67 sq m (721 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	F

With white walls, a pink door and matching seats, the exterior of No 114 Rialto Cottages in Dublin 8 looks pretty enough to make a dream home for Barbie.

The interior of the small 1900s-built artisan cottage has been colourfully and creatively upgraded in the last five years and includes a stylish grey kitchen with white worktops, copper handles, and a black sink.

Quoting a guide of €375,000, Kate Mullery of Mullery O’Gara Auctioneers says it’s a gorgeous two-bed property which has been given a decorative makeover by its current owner who also put in a new kitchen and bathroom and replaced the flat roof since buying it in 2018.

Small, with just 67sq metres of living space, it has a living area with a redbrick chimney breast, a white spiral staircase, dark blue wainscoting, and a doorway opening into the upgraded kitchen/diner which has built-in seating to match the grey fitted units. The ground floor also has a bedroom, a modern bathroom, and a small room which is now a pink nursery.

A spiral staircase leads to a mezzanine area which is being used as a bedroom. Fitted with double glazing and gas heating the cottage has a low F energy rating. At the rear, it has a small patio garden with pale pink walls.

“It’s located in a quiet cul de sac just a short stroll from shops and cafes in Rialto village and close to a nearby Luas stop,” reveals Ms Mullery.

VERDICT: Only the most curmudgeonly of viewers could fail to appreciate its charm.

Derrymore West, Dingle Peninsula
€295,000
Size	127 sq m (1,367 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

Oakwood Cottage at Derrymore West on the Dingle Peninsula is the type of cute seaside residence that’s going to appeal to quite a diverse variety of buyers.

That’s the expectation of Paul Stephenson of Sherry FitzGerald Stephenson Crean who says the 1890s-built coast guard cottage is attractive to holiday home buyers and retirees as well as city relocators who want to work from home near the sea.

“It has panoramic views of Tralee Bay, is within walking distance of Derrymore Beach, and would be perfect for an Airbnb property,” he adds.

The pretty green and white semi-detached property has been extensively renovated and extended by current owners who have fitted double-glazed windows and upgraded the plumbing, electrics, and heating since buying it in 2006.

“They built on a two-storey extension which increased the floor area to 127 sq m and involved the addition of a modern kitchen/ diner with cream units,” reveals Mr Stephenson.

The cottage also has a front sitting room with a brick chimney breast and a stove as well as a ground-floor bathroom and bedroom. The upstairs has a bathroom and two bedrooms including a large timber-floored one with exposed timber beams.

Offering views of the sea at the front and of Slieve Mish at the rear, Oakwood Cottage is located 12km from Tralee. It’s on the market with a guide of €295,000 and could also appeal to overseas buyers.

VERDICT: Unexpectedly spacious for a cute cottage.

Gorey, Co Wexford
€495,000
Size	137 sq m (1,475 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2/3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

original owners of Woodcutter’s Cottage at Barnlands near Gorey in Co Wexford went all out to create an authentic-looking, traditional-style rural residence.

Building it on a wooded 2.3-acre site, they designed it to resemble a cut stone gate lodge giving it redbrick quoins and gothic-style arched windows and using timber panelling on the interior to create a rustic-style appearance.

Listed with a guide of €495,000, it’s for sale with Sherry FitzGerald O’Leary Kinsella who say the 2005-built, two/three-bed house has been meticulously maintained by current owners.

Offering 137 sq m of living space it has a sitting room with a stone fireplace and a stove as well as a country-style kitchen with cream units, marble worktops, and a solid fuel range. The property also has a utility room and guest WC.

The upper floor has a bathroom with a jacuzzi bath, two bedrooms, and a small room used as an office which has a porthole window.

Fitted with a reedbed sewage system and a well with a filtration system, the house has double glazing, solar panels and a C1 energy rating.

In the very extensive woodland gardens, there’s a chicken run, an orchard, a log cabin, a detached garage, as well as gravelled areas and a long driveway.

Located 5km from Gorey, auctioneer James Kinsella says it’s a haven of tranquillity just a short drive from a nearby beach and an hour’s drive from Dublin.

VERDICT: Quaint, secluded and idyllically rustic.

Ferrybank, Co Waterford
€510,000
Size	234 sq m (2,518 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4 & 2
Bathrooms	3 & 1
BER	C2

Located at the edge of Waterford city, within a 10-minute drive from the centre, this substantial cottage-style property at 3 Farmlea in Ferrybank comes with a sizable rural plot.

Overlooking green fields at the rear, it’s on a site of three-quarters of an acre and has a fish pond, a greenhouse, a dog run and space for a pony, as well as a formal courtyard garden with flower beds and a Greek-style statue.

Situated in a cul de sac of large detached houses, the four-bed property has a two-bed granny flat and could, if required, be turned into a six-bed home.

Designed in the style of a traditional cottage and built in 1995, it’s stone-faced with red-brick window quoins and green decorative bargeboards, and has 234sq metres of living space including two conservatories.

The main house has two reception rooms, a kitchen/ diner, a guest WC, and on the upper floor, four bedrooms (one ensuite), and an upgraded bathroom with a roll-top bath. The self-contained granny flat has a kitchen/diner, a sitting room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms.

Decorated cottage style, the rooms are mostly timber-floored and include some with exposed beams and timber panelled ceilings. David Ennis of Ennis Gough, seeking offers of €510,000, says this is an excellent opportunity for a city family to get more space without having to move too far.

VERDICT: Offers spacious country living within easy reach of city amenities.