Charming Thornbury bungalow in Rochestown a rose by any other name for €395k

Mature gardens, timeless interiors and a prime Rochestown location make this three-bed bungalow a strong draw for first-time buyers

Warm feel inside 6 Manor Lawn in Rochetown's Thornbury. Agent Stuart O'Grady guides the 995 sq ft home at €395,000. Pictures: John Roche

Rochestown, Cork
€395,000
Size	93 sq m (995 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	C1

HOMES in Cork’s Thornbury development in Rochestown are now about 40 years old, featuring a rare mix of detached and semi-detached two-storey houses, plus single-storey bungalows.

One of the latter — a three-bed bungalow at 6 Manor Lawn, located at the start of the mid-1980s Thornbury development off Coach Hill — is newly up for sale after its owners of about two decades decided to relocate outside Cork.

The development was delivered by McInerneys, major house builders at the time, who used similar house plans in a number of schemes over a 10-year period in Cork city and further afield.

Chemical free gardening

Like most well-planned estates of the era, Thornbury has matured well thanks to house-proud residents and thoughtful individual and collective landscaping.

The planting at No 6 Manor Lawn, inside one of the first cul-de-sac sections within the hillside-set estate, has clearly flourished, evident in the mature birch tree by its drive and front garden. The westerly rear garden is very mature too, with a mix of trees, shrubs, paths, a sandstone patio and a part-concealed storage shed.

Gardening here has been consciously chemical-free, it’s noted.

Teak double doors to sun-trap patio

Internally, No 6 is very well presented, decorated and maintained.

Selling agent Stuart O’Grady of Sherry FitzGerald says: “It’s one of those rare enough, genuine ‘walk in and hang your hat’ homes. It’s going to show very well.”

Mr O’Grady is guiding €395,000 and expects first-time buyer interest rather than trade-down interest, despite the single-storey layout, good condition and manageable mature garden. It’s still ideal for older buyers coming from larger homes with far bigger gardens.

However, he believes a first-time buyer is most likely to purchase No 6, which has just under 1,000 sq ft, with its three bedrooms to the left of the central hall with its runner carpet, the bathroom at the end, and the living room in front of the kitchen/diner on the right.

Painted navy blue, the living room is traditionally furnished, with a period-style open fireplace with ornate features. There’s plenty of art and some feature lights, reflecting off the polished walnut hardwood floor.

Glazed double doors link this space to the kitchen/diner behind, which looks out to the back garden and patio through glazed teak French doors — described by Mr O’Grady as a suntrap, private garden. Other rooms have a mix of mid-20th century and antique furniture and decorative items for a timeless feel.

It’s billed as “inviting” by Mr O’Grady. The three bedrooms are on the compact side, and the main bathroom has what he describes as an elliptical bath, as well as a walk-in shower with a Grohe power shower.

VERDICT: A lovely, quiet setting between ‘old’ Rochestown and Douglas village, with a mix of house types on Coach Hill, near Mount Oval services, bus routes, sports facilities and woodland walks at Garryduff.