City to Country: Two bedrooms in Portobello or four in Belgooly

Properties on the market in Dublin 8, Kenmare, Tipperary and Cork

Portobello, Dublin 8
€595,000
Size	65 sq m ( 700 sq ft)
Bedrooms	2
Bathrooms	1
BER	B3

This quirky and charming Victorian redbrick mid-terrace house at 16 Kingsland Parade at Portobello in Dublin 8 has had its ceiling raised and its BER brought up to a B3.

The owners of the two-bed property took the unusual step of taking down the ceilings to expose the joists in the living room and bedrooms, thus creating a new feature and improving the sense of space.

Clodagh Murphy of Eoin Reilly auctioneers says other improvements involved rewiring, replumbing and upgrading the kitchen, bathroom and gas boiler. “The owners kept some interior features including some polished floorboards and a brick fireplace and they cleaned and re-pointed the front façade “ she adds.

Inside the front door of the 65 sq metre house there’s a timber floored sitting/ dining room with exposed rafters and a full height brick fireplace with a stove. An archway opens into a modern galley kitchen with blue quartz-topped shaker-style units and two skylights. Off the kitchen there’s a small utility and off the hallway a modern tiled wet room.

The upstairs has two bedrooms with exposed joists – one double and one single.

Quoting a guide of €595,000, Ms Murphy says the location, close to Portobello and the Grand Canal and within walking distance of St Stephen's Green, is sought after.

The house next door, No 17 Kingsland Parade sold for €595,000 in December.

VERDICT: Small, but central and quirky

Kenmare, Co Kerry
€490,000
Size	169 sq m (1,819 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	B3

Interest in this detached four-bed house at 5 Ard Mullen, Gortmullen in Kenmare, which recently arrived on the market with a guide of €490,000, is coming from quite diverse quarters.

“We have had viewings with retirees who want to come to Kenmare for the golf and also with buyers looking for a home with more family space," says Suzanne Teahan of Sherry FitzGerald Daly, adding that a few investors have also been taking an interest.

Built in 2006, it’s one of ten detached properties in Ard Mullen, a development of 33 houses. “The owners bought it as a private holiday home and have maintained it very well. The BER has been brought up to a B3 with attic and wall insulation and a new condenser boiler,’’ reveals Ms Teahan.

The property’s 169 sq metres of accommodation includes two front reception rooms with timber flooring and bay windows, a utility, a guest WC and a spacious kitchen/diner with shaker-style units.

The upstairs has four bedrooms as well as an en suite and a bathroom which have both been renovated recently. The majority of the contents are included in the sale and the drinks bar in the living area is available for purchase.

The house has a driveway at the front and a mature back garden with a patio.

Ard Mullen is located within a 20-minute walk from the town centre and two km from Kenmare Golf Club.

VERDICT: Detached, modern and versatile

Templemore, Co Tipperary
€675,000
Size	284 sq m ( 3,056 sq ft)
Bedrooms	5
Bathrooms	5
BER	A2

High tech, high spec and stylishly contemporary, Whispering Trees at Knocka near Templemore is set apart from the average rural home by its modernity and a long bank of SVP panels.

On the market with a guide of €675,000, it’s a five bed A2 rated house which was built in 2017. “It has a Toshiba Daiseikai air conditioning unit with heating and cooling operated by remote energy monitoring as well as a comprehensive thermal hot water and solar system with battery support ,’’ reveals auctioneer Johanne O’Dwyer noting that its energy costs are very low.

Features include a solid walnut staircase with glass balustrades, tiled flooring throughout and a high gloss handleless kitchen units imported from Germany. Embracing the use of technology the owners fitted electric gates and an electric car charger and use robotic mowers on the lawn..

At ground level the 284 sq property has a living room, a utility, a kitchen/diner, a guest WC, a bathroom and three bedrooms one en suite and upstairs it has two en suite bedrooms.

The owners named it after planting 200 native trees including beech and sycamore on their 1.7 acre site. Being environmentally conscious, they also planted two raised organic vegetable beds near the house.

Whispering Pines is located three km from Templemore which has regular train service to both Cork and Dublin.

VERDICT: Attractive to eco /energy conscious buyers, it could suit a hybrid worker or someone who works from home.

Belgooly, Co Cork
€575,000
Size	160 sq m ( 1940 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

An option for a buyer looking to live in rural tranquillity near Kinsale is this pretty four-bed cottage style property at Lacknacummeen, Belgooly, which isn’t at all as old as it appears to be.

“It was built in the 1990s as a replica of a traditional cottage and has old style features including an inglenook fireplace, timber panelled ceilings, exposed beams, latched doors, and a farmhouse plaster render finish,’’ says Brenan Bowe of Bowe auctioneers adding that it has a C2 BER and includes more modern features such as double glazing, and electric storage heating.

But best of all, he says, is the 1.18 site which he describes as magnificent. “ It’s in an elevated rural setting with countryside views, extensive lawns and absolute privacy.”

Offering 160 sq metres of living space, the property has a kitchen/diner with exposed ceiling beams and timber units, a sunroom and a tiled living room with a vaulted ceiling and an old style fireplace with a stove. There’s also a small utility, a bathroom and two bedrooms while the upstairs has a galleried landing and two bedrooms. Decorated cottage style by its owners who bought it new, it will require updating.

In the gardens, there are two outbuildings including one which is used as a home office.

Guiding at €575,000, the property is located less than two km from Belgooly and seven km from Kinsale.

VERDICT: A property for a change of lifestyle.