City to Country: Attractively upgraded Portobello redbrick for €595k or space and scenery at in creeper-covered Kerry cottage

Choose compact and cosy in the city or space and scenery in the country

Tue, 10 Sep, 2024 - 06:06

Trish Dromey

Portobello, Dublin 8
€595,000
Size	58 sq m 9 624 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	C3

THIS small two-bed redbrick Victorian mid-terrace house at 17 Kingsland Parade is one of many houses in Portobello to receive an upgrade since the area became fashionable and popular.

Since buying it seven years ago the owners have installed modern comforts and improved the energy rating but where possible kept original features such as cast iron fireplace and floorboards.

“It’s an attractive, comfortable home with a smartly presented kitchen, an upgraded bathroom and a new gas boiler,” says Clodagh Murphy of Owen Reilly seeking offers of €595,000 for the 56 sq m property.

A small entrance hall at the front leads through to a living /dining room with a cast iron fireplace and a stove. At the rear there is a tiled shower room and the small kitchen with cream kitchen units with hardwood counter tops and Smeg appliances.

A staircase with painted steps leads up to the two bedrooms, one double and one single, with varnished floorboards.

To the rear there’s a tiny courtyard with space for two seats.

“Situated in Portobello which is a fashionable and sought after area, Kingsland Parade is close to the leafy bank of the Grand Canal and to local pubs, restaurants, cafes, and delis,” says Ms Murphy, noting that the property is within a short walk from the Harcourt Street Luas stop.

No 17 last sold for €373,000 in 2016.

VERDICT: Small, but attractively upgraded and a 17-minute walk from St Stephens Green.

Derreendrislagh, Co Kerry
€295,000
Size	96 sq m ( 1,038 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	F

This quaint creeper-covered traditional cottage in the woodlands of Derreendrislagh on the Ring of Kerry is no longer the home of an artist but it’s easy to see how it was once chosen as one.

“It’s still known as the Artist’s cottage although she sold it to my clients 16 years ago, reveals Suzanne Teahan of Sherry FitzGerald Daly seeking offers of €295,000 for the renovated two-bed property located ten km from Sneem.

Dating from the 1900s it was reroofed by the artist who added a mezzanine level and a detached studio. Since buying it as a scenic coastal Kerry home for their retirement, the current owners have extended and renovated.

“It’s a very charming cottage with 96 sq metres of accommodation and a site of over half an acre with woodland gardens and a meandering stream,’’ says Ms Teahan.

Inside the thick rough plastered stone walls of the cottage, there’s a kitchen/dining/ living room with some exposed stone and an inglenook fireplace with a stove as well as shaker style kitchen units with granite countertops and a Belfast sink.

A steep staircase leads to a mezzanine bedroom which seems to be a good place for star watching. In the extension at the rear the cottage has a bathroom, a utility and two bedrooms including an en suite.

Located two km from Gleesk pier and eight km from Castlecove, it’s within the south Kerry Dark-sky reserve.

VERDICT: Scenic, secluded and charming but needs an energy upgrade.

Glengarriff, West Cork
€495,000
Size	136 sq m ( 1,464 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3/4
Bathrooms	2
BER	C1

A West Cork lifestyle with space, gardens, distant sea views and , quite unexpectedly, a geodesic dome is on offer at this detached three-bed house at Glenkeen near Glengarriff.

The dome which doubles as a living area and a greenhouse was added by the UK owners who bought and renovated the 1990s built property around 20 years ago.

“They built a kitchen extension with a vaulted ceiling and fitted triple glazed windows which helped bring the BER rating up to a C1,’’ reveals Olivia Hanafin of Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill quoting a guide of €495,000.

Located a little over four km from Glengarriff village, the property is on a site of just under two acres and has 136 sq metres of living space.

Stretching from front to rear at one side is a long living cum dining room and beyond it is the high ceilinged kitchen extension and timber fitted units. Across the hallway there’s also a guest WC, a utility room, and a library/home office which could be a fourth bedroom. The upstairs has a bathroom and three bedrooms.

Outside in the gardens there are mature gardens with vegetable plots, a workshop and the geodesic dome which according to Ms Hanafin is used to produce very sizable tomatoes.

She believes the property could attract relocators or perhaps retirees like the current owners who are now returning to the UK to spend time with their grandchildren.

VERDICT: A sizable and scenic home with a few unexpected extras.

Cratloe, Co Clare
€585,000
Size	297 sq m ( 3,200 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	4
BER	B3

Although it’s an estate house, this five-bed detached property at 1 Aisling Court, Brickhill West in Cratloe village in south east Clare has more space and larger gardens than many estate house dwellers in cities could dream of.

“It’s on a mature half acre site with a south facing rear garden and has 297 sq metres of living space including a kitchen extension with a sunroom area ,’’ says Orla Sheehan of Sherry FitzGerald Limerick.

On the market with a guide of €585,000, the 1998 built property is in a row of seven similar style detached houses. The expectation is that it will appeal to commuters from Limerick city and Shannon which are both within 11 km.

As a result of the addition of a sunroom style area at the rear the kitchen/diner now stretches to almost 71 sq metres and is a modern bright space with a fully glazed wall, ivory coloured units, a large island unit and a stove.

Also on the ground floor there are two sitting rooms, a dining room, a utility and a bathroom while the upstairs has a bathroom and five bedrooms including two with en suites. A well-kept, modern and mostly timber floored property with a B3 BER, its décor will need to be updated by a new owner.