Personality packed park life at €395k southside terraced home

Charm and function at the max in this three-bed Deerpark house

149 Deerpark, Cork

Deerpark, Cork City
€395,000
Size	89sq m (958sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	C2

Just like all the house-buying advice guides suggest you do, the owners of this three-bed terraced home went on pre-purchase reconnaissance missions in the neighbourhood to see if they liked the area.

They cycled around the Lough and all around the Friars Walk area and saw green spaces, children playing, and dog walkers ... so the then newlyweds were delighted to buy 149 Deerpark in 2021 (for €301k according to the Property Price Register).

At that point, “nothing much” had been done to the 1990-built house so it was essentially a blank canvas according to owners Hannah and Alex.

“The main work we did was decorative as well as a new bathroom and a new boiler but we added lots of colour from the front door onwards,” says Hannah.

That bubble-gum-pink door is your first clue that this home has a rather eye-catching interior with forest greens, sage, and cobalt blue paintwork.

“We’ve definitely tried to bring in different styles to make it interesting, between us we’ve got a lot of influences ... camper van, Australia, and my husband was born in Hong Kong and lived in Japan too.”

Two children are also in the mix now — as well as Murphy the schnauzer who has his own ‘annex’ under the stairs of this cul-de-sac house.

Murphy has also joined a local dog-walking group which has been great for getting his owners out and about and meeting neighbours.

There’s a small covered patio at the back of the house in the south-west facing back garden which gives that suntrap even more practicality.

One of the bedrooms upstairs has been turned into a home office/music room with deep pine green walls.

A query about favourite spots in this 89 sq m house is met with a list...

“The garden is so sunny that it’s everyone’s favourite; I actually love Murphy’s ‘room’ under the stairs too; the pale pink front room gets the morning light so it’s great to get a cup from the kitchen ‘coffee station’ and and sit inside the front window to wake up to the day.”

Even the home’s second smallest room, the downstairs bathroom, got a healthy splash of colour with deep berry-toned walls: “My husband got a shock when he saw the tin of paint but I told him to ‘just trust the process’ and he loves it now.”

The living room at the back of the house is currently a playroom — with a wall-mount for a bike. This room looks out through the covered patio area and new owners may opt for double-doors instead of the window to add to the functionality of the room, whether it becomes a games room, second living room, or home office.

The family is upsizing now but staying in the south suburbs as cycle paths, parks, and walks here are a big draw for them.

“This is a mostly owner-occupied area with lots of families so we’re getting a lot of interest from first-time buyers,” notes Áine McLoughlin of AML Property Services.

“It’s a really nice home, so inviting. And it’s great that it’s so handy for the city centre, and you have off-street parking too,” she adds. The guide is €395k.

VERDICT: A personality-packed starter home in a prime south-side location. This stylish property offers first-time buyers a nice balance of suburban charm and city convenience... without needing to lift a paintbrush.