City to Country: Contemporary Dublin 3 loft for €545k or thatched cottage on Clare coast

Buyers can choose from a mix of great urban and rural finds

Tue, 27 Aug, 2024 - 06:16

Tris Dromey

Drumcondra, Dublin 3
€545,000
Size	135 sq m ( 1,453 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	Exempt

The exposed stone walls in Loft 7, The Granary, Distillery Lofts in Drumcondra, Dublin 3 give it the kind of character you don’t often see in contemporary apartments.

It’s situated in an 1890s built premises which once housed Dublin Whiskey Distillery ( DWD) but was transformed around 20 years ago into an upmarket apartment complex that has since been used as a set for Irish crime series Love/Hate.

This first floor apartment has 135 sq metres of living space and an attractive mix of new and old features. “It has cast iron wall plates and original stone walls as well as a floor to ceiling glass wall in the living area, modern bathrooms, a sleek kitchen and solid walnut flooring,’’ says auctioneer Wayne O'Brien of DNG Fairview.

Accommodation includes a spacious open plan kitchen/living room with a kitchen. A sliding door in the dining area opens into one of the apartment’s two bedrooms which also include an en suite. Off the hallway the property has a utility room.

On the market with a guide of €545,000, it’s situated in a gated development located within a 20 minute walk from Drumcondra village and around two and a half km from Dublin city centre. “It’s close to amenities in Glasnevin and Drumcondra" says Mr O’Brien adding that it’s also within walking distance of the seafront.

VERDICT: Spacious for a two-bed apartment – it has character and a bit of a story.

Skibbereen, West Cork
€495,000
Size	204 sq m (2,196 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	4
BER	A2

A HOUSE hunter looking for a spacious detached A-rated house in the Skibbereen area could build one for themselves or possibly take a look at this five-bed property at Licknavar, 3km from town.

Sean Carmody of Charles McCarthy auctioneers says the two-year-old five-bed is a type of property that’s very scarce in an area where few new houses have been built in recent years.

Guiding at €495,000, it is situated on a site of three quarters of an acre and has scenic views of surrounding countryside. Its A2 BER has been achieved with a heat pump and solar PV panels.

Contemporary and modern, the 204 sq metre house has a spacious open plan kitchen/dining /living area with grey shaker style units and large windows. Other accommodation includes a front living room, a utility room, and a guest WC at the rear as well as a sunroom and an en suite bedroom at opposite ends.

An oak staircase leads to the upstairs which has a bathroom and four bedrooms including one at the front with an en suite and one currently in use as an office.

Close to the house is a double-height steel shed that could be put to a variety of uses. The owners added a patio at the side but haven’t landscaped the site so this has been left for the new owner.

VERDICT: Has all the space and energy efficiency a family could wish for.

Kells, Co Kilkenny
€675,000
Size	205 sq m (2,206 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	G

AN OPPORTUNITY to become a country landowner is on offer at Mill House, Newtown, near Kells in Kilkenny — in a restored 18th-century property with six acres of land which includes river frontage and fishing rights as well as an orchard and vegetable gardens.

Describing it as a magical countryside retreat, John Doherty of Sherry FitzGerald McCreery quotes a guide of €675,000 for the property near Kings River (a tributary of the Nore) which has been restored by current owners who bought it in 2006.

Keeping the traditional appearance of the old mill house, they fitted Swedex double glazed windows, hand crafted kitchen units, as well as high quality bathroom fittings and floor tiles.

The kitchen has granite-topped, handmade ivory coloured units with a Rangemaster, and the large ground floor bathroom has both a wet room and an old style slipper bath. Other accommodation includes a living room, a dining room, and a utility while the upstairs has three bedrooms and a bathroom.

While the interior of the property has been decorated charmingly and tastefully, it is likely that viewers will be equally impressed with the gardens and the surrounding lands which are divided into islands by the mill streams.

“It’s a natural wildlife sanctuary with regular sights of kingfishers, herons, and otters,” says Mr Doherty, noting that the house has a roof terrace and the gardens have outbuildings, a vegetable garden, and an orchard with mature trees.

VERDICT: It makes country life look very appealing.

New Quay, Co Clare
€395,000
Size	110 sq m (1,184 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	E1

The rehabilitation of this traditional thatched cottage at Finavarra, New Quay on the northern tip of the Burren has been a 17 year long project for its owner.

While many properties of this type are just used for holidays, this one has been turned into a full time home and has been slowly and carefully modernised and extended and prettily painted red and white on the outside.

Listed by New Quay Real Estate with a guide of €395,000, it’s a three-bed property on a site of almost half an acre which is located within a five minute walk from the coast.

“Probably built 150 years ago it’s an old stone cottage which has now been fitted with double glazed timber sash windows and oil-fired heating” says Eugene Broderick adding that the extension was added on seven years ago.

The older part of the property has a traditional kitchen with cream units, a rangemaster cooker and a deep window sill which reveals the thickness of the walls. There’s also a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom while the extension has another bathroom and two bedrooms – one upstairs and one downstairs.