Mahon home transformed by fireman’s DIY skills hits the market at €295,000

Extended and upgraded over 20 years by a skilled fireman-owner, this Mahon terrace is now a turnkey modern home

Fri, 15 Aug, 2025 - 00:30

Trish Dromey reports

Mahon, Cork City
€295,000
Size	135 sq m (1,450 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	2
BER	B2

A VISIT to 4 Avenue de Rennes in Cork’s suburban Mahon will open viewers’ eyes to the possibilities of what can be done with a small 1980s built mid-terrace house.

A stylish, contemporary home with 135 sq metres of living , it’s been extended up and out and is now almost twice the size it was when the current owners moved in 20 years ago.

For the owner — a fireman who previously worked for 17 years as a carpenter — it’s always been a work in progress. “I did most of the work myself and what I couldn’t do myself I got my brothers to do – we have a plumber and three electricians in the family.”

Some renovations have been carried out more than once. “I’ve recently put down herringbone laminate flooring on the ground floor — this is the third time I’ve replaced the flooring ,’’ he says adding that a few years ago he took the glass panes out of the double glazed windows and put in new low e coated ones to improve energy efficiency.

Large scale renovations started back in 2016 with the addition of a 35 sq metre kitchen extension at the rear with a large lantern rooflight and four metre wide bifolding doors. “To start with we used this as a living room but in 2024 we turned it into a large modern kitchen/diner with units from Howdens,’’ reveals the owner.

The other major alteration happened during covid when the owner decided that he needed a project to keep him busy. Having the skills to tackle something much more ambitious than the garden room many people built in Lockdown, he removed the roof of the house, extended it to increase height of the attic ceiling and added on two rooms — one with two Velux windows at the front and another with a box extension at the rear. When replacing the roof, he added insulation which, with other upgrades, helped bring the BER up to a B2.

Taking out the chimney to make space for a staircase, he used the opportunity to change the layout of the first floor. Merging a small box room with a bedroom to create a larger one, he modernised the room with timber wall panelling and herringbone flooring.

The many, many home improvements carried out over the years included the addition of timber panelling in the hallway and the creation of a guest WC under the stairs.

Accommodation in the totally remodelled house includes a front sitting room with a feature wall of acoustic panels — which the owner says absorbs sound so is both functional and decorative.

The eight metre long kitchen at the rear — has contemporary handleless slate. grey textured units with quartz worktops and splashbacks in addition to a large quartz topped centre island and some acoustic wall paneling.

The first floor has a modern tiled bathroom (upgraded in 2024) and two laminate floored bedrooms. The two roomed attic floor has added around 31 sq metres of living space to the house.

To the front and rear there are sandstone patios put in by the owner after he finished the extension.

Overlooking a recently upgraded communal parking area and flower bed at the front, the property is close to local amenities and is within a 15 minute walk from both Mahon Point Shopping Centre and Blackrock Pier.

Quoting a guide of € 295,000, Cory Galvin of Jeremy Murphy & Associates says there’s not a lot that could be done to this house that hasn’t been done.

“It’s an exceptional, energy efficient turnkey property. Interest has been phenomenal —we have had over 50 enquiries and already booked six hours of viewing.’’ .

VERDICT: Viewers will be highly impressed with the standard of finish and extremely envious of the owner’s DIY skills.

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