City to Country: Urban life in fully renovated Dublin 6 cottage or harbour views at €435k waterfront home 

Urban, rural or seaside - take your pick, writes Trish Dromey

Setting Sun Ballyhack

Rathmines, Dublin 6
€550,000
Size	50 sq m (538 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C2

ALTHOUGH Gulistan Cottages in Rathmines are small, they seem highly prized especially when they’re fully renovated and upgraded like this mid-terrace one at No 57.

Guiding at €550,000, this two-bed 50sq m house has been given a modern makeover by current owners. The interior is now bright and contemporary and includes a long kitchen diner with high gloss white units and a large central island.

There are two bedrooms, a bathroom and a small courtyard. Auctioneer Barry Ensor of Sherry FitzGerald Rathmines says renovations included an extension and replacement of almost everything including parts of the roof.

Location is the key attraction, within walking distance of Rathmines and Ranelagh villages and 2km from St Stephen’s Green.

In all there are 63 properties which date from the late 19th century.

The Property Price Register shows 27 sales of Gulistan Cottages since 2010 including some high prices post renovation.

The most expensive was No 63, a two-bed mid-terrace home which sold for €630,000 in 2022. No 47 seems to have had the most sales (making €285,000 in 2013, and €512,000 in 2021). The most recent sale was No 34, for €380,000.

In 2015, No 57 sold for €312,000.

VERDICT: Small but attractively modernised and central.

Ballyhack, Co Wexford
€435,000
Size	198sq m (2,131sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	B3

GIVEN the owners of this waterfront property in Ballyhack harbour in Wexford have called their home, Setting Sun, the expectation is that the views are well worth seeing.

Edel Keane of Keane auctioneers, who list the upgraded three-bed home with an AMV of €435,000, says it could be a lifestyle choice for a Waterford city buyer who could commute by taking the ferry across to Passage East.

“But because it has panoramic views of the harbour and is close to beaches, it could also be a holiday home,’’ she adds.

An old cottage which has been modernised and extended, it now has 198sq m of living space and a B3 BER.

Accommodation includes two reception rooms at the front as well as a large modern extension which accommodates a kitchen/diner overlooking the harbour at the front and a timber floored sitting room at the rear.

The ground floor also has a utility room and a guest WC while the upper floor has a bathroom and three bedrooms including one en suite and large walk-in wardrobe. At the front, a courtyard garden overlooks the harbour.

Located near Ballyhack Castle, a 15th Century tower built by the Knights Templar, Setting Sun is a short walk from the ferry which takes 15 minutes to cross to Passage East, 13km from Waterford city.

Online auction is on March 22.

VERDICT: Scenic waterfront homes are always in demand

Ardmore, Co Waterford
€650,000
Size	278 sq m (2,990 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	4
BER	A2

As family seaside homes go, this one at Ballynamona near Ardmore in West Waterford looks pretty idyllic.

Stylish with large green triple glazed windows and spacious with 278 sq meters of accommodation, it’s also highly energy efficient with a bank of solar PV panels and A2 BER. “From almost every room there are panoramic views of Ardmore Bay,’’ reveals auctioneer Brian Gleeson adding that the best ones can be seen from the mezzanine level which the owners used as an art studio.

On the market with a guide of €650,000, it’s on a site of an acre and a half and is located one and a half km from Ardmore village and Beach and four km from Whiting Bay.

Mr Gleeson says the owners who built the house in 2019 have finished it to an exceptionally high standard. The kitchen, which has purple units and green splashback tiles, has been thoughtfully and stylishly designed and includes an Italian copper extractor fan as well as mosaic porcelain tiles under the island unit, he adds.

The huge open plan kitchen /dining /living space also has a stove and large windows with sea views. At ground level there’s a utility room, a guest WC, a bathroom and four bedrooms including two with en suites. On the mezzanine level there’s a galleried area which the owners used as an art studio as well as a bedroom which has a porthole window with sea views.

VERDICT: Looks perfect for remote working.

Silvermines, Co Tipperary
€375,000
Size	123 sq m ( 1,325 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	C3

Forest View in Silvermines near Nenagh has quite a few of the things people typically put on their wish list when they decide to move to the country, including space, mature gardens and scenic views.

A pretty four-bed bungalow with mock leaded windows at the front, it’s on a site of over a third of an acre and has a detached garage/gym/workshop as well as a small greenhouse and a carport.

Quoting a guide of €375,000, James Lee of REA Lee auctioneers says it’s a well-presented 2004-built family home which could suit buyers from Nenagh ( nine km away) or people working in Castletroy in Limerick city, which is within a half an hour's drive.

There’s 123 sq m of living space which includes a living room with a wood burning stove and alcoves for log storage as well as a kitchen /diner with grey shaker style units and a breakfast counter. The bungalow also has a bathroom, a utility room and four bedrooms including one en suite.

The detached garage has a workshop as well as a living area/gym at the rear. Mr Lee says this could be turned into a home office.

The gardens are mature and include lawned and gravelled areas as well as a sheltered patio at the rear.

Located opposite the local church and close to amenities in Silvermines village, Forest View also offers distant views of the Silvermines mountains.

VERDICT: Has space, comfort and gardens enough to attract commuters and relocators.