Trading Up Homes: A selection homes in the city and country

Keyser’s Hill, Cork City €270,000

Size: 86sq m (920sq ft)

Bathrooms: 4

Bedrooms: 4

BER: C1

Setright in the very heart of Cork city and by the rapidly evolving South Parish is the unusually titled house at 2, Sliding Stone, on Keysers Hill.

And, as well as an unusual title is the fact it manages to get in four bedrooms, three of them at first floor and with en suites, and all within a c 920 sq ft, timber-framed build.

Pedestrian-accessed Keyser’s Hill runs from the side of the historic, star-shaped Elizabeth Fort by Barrack Street, down to Frenchs Quay by the South Gate Bridge, with views now of the rapidly advancing BAM student apartment blocks on the the old Beamish brewery site, with hopes still being held of the long-promised Event Centre.

Auctioneer Jeremy Murphy guides the almost secretly-set No 2 Sliding Stone along Keyser’s Hill at €270,000.

It will suit those really into convenient city centre living with every amenity on the doorstep, and quite likely investors as well, given the proximity to UCC, the School of Architecture, and the CIT’s city campus spaces at South Mall, and the Crawford College of Art.

Set in an almost medieval feel city quarter, No 2 was built in 2004, and has gas heating, and a C1 BER.

VERDICT: a lot fitted into a compact build, in a hideaway setting.

Ovens, Ballincollig €465,000

Size: 173 sqm (1,850 sq ft)

Bathrooms: 4

Bedrooms: 4/5

BER: C1

There's no shortage of ground floor reception rooms at the corner-sited detached family home, 1 Elm Walk, in Ballincollig’s Classes Lake. In fact, there’s so many, that one (a family room) is billed as an optional ground floor bedroom number five.

A February market arrival, in the large O’Callaghan Properties Classes Lake development on the town’s western fringes, the 1,850 sq ft family home with two of its four first floor bedrooms en suite, is guided at €465,000 by estate agent Garry O’Donnell, of ERA Downey McCarthy, who reckons it will tick lots of boxes for traders up.

Some who come to look may, indeed, be looking to move up from within the well-bedded down scheme, and attractive selling points here include its corner setting by a green, its size, its detached status, west-facing walled-in back garden, and general, high overall interior, quality.

That’s exemplified, for example, by the quality of the main family bathroom, with its high-backed slipper bath, separate shower and walnut floor; there are two further en suites, a ground floor guest WC and, even the garden gets a sort of ‘loo’ look in, with a stand-alone old bowl being used as a novelty plant stand by the shed. Back inside, No 1 has interlinked living and dining rooms, a large kitchen/diner slightly extending from the back wall with overhead Veluxes, plus a long tiled hall, and a utility, all well finished out.

VERDICT: Walk in to 1 Elm Walk

Well Road, Douglas €395,000

Size: 107 sqm (1,150sq ft)

Bathrooms: 2+1

Bedrooms: 3+1

BER: Pending

Set by the entrance to the sloping, hill-set Lake Lawn off Cork’s Well Road near Douglas village is this new-to-market offer, 1 Lake Lawn, carrying a €395,000 asking price for its three bedrooms, with the addition of a rear one-bed granny flat, with shower room and kitchenette adding to the mix.

It’s listed with agent Conor Smith of Casey & Kingston, who says there’s an appeal to a ‘discerning’ purchaser, and that will be true on locational grounds alone.

Like many of its Lake Lawn neighbours, No 1 is set off from the get-go by a feature porthole window by its front entrance and hall, and the main door is up just a few steps from the front garden/side drive, necessitated by the slope on the road outside.

Internally, it has an oak-floored hall, front sitting room with fireplace, rear kitchen/ diner with light oak units and guest WC, while overhead all three bedrooms have built ins.

It’s in good overall condition, with gas heating, double glazing and the back faces west, with a shed in the wedge-shaped rear garden, plus that studio/granny flat forextra use options

VERDICT: No 1’s in quite posh company around the corner on the Well Road, with Mahon’s office parks off a bit via the Skehard Road to the east, and Douglas village a walk away in the other direction.

Glandore, West Cork €249,000

Size: 112 sqm (1,200 sq ft)

Bathrooms: 2

Bedrooms: 3

BER: D1

Who'll buy Stonehaven, a semi-detached family home, just 150 metres uphill from West Cork’s Glandore harbour and pier, hotel and some of its highly-rated restaurants?

The modern, c 1,200 sq ft house is one of a side-by-side pair, set up an uphill stretch from the superbly scenic harbour, an internationally noted beauty spot, and a location where one of the most recent successful house sales was a bit of headline maker.

Kilfinnan Castle, on acres of private grounds by the sea and with water frontage, sold last month for an unconfirmed €6m, to local/overseas family buyers, via agent Charles P McCarthy in Skibbereen.

It’s one of the strongest Munster coastal property sales for many, many years, if not an absolute record.

So, no pressure on another agent, with a new market Glandore listing, to perform. Just as well the target’s a bit lower.

Auctioneer Andy Donoghue of Hodnett Forde in Clonakilty guides Glandore’s Stonehaven at a more manageable €249,000, and says its gorgeous inside, full of family friendly personality, is modern and very well-maintained.

Set back off the road, with a wide drive and backing into a upward slope towards a farm field behind, it has a 16’ by 12’ sitting room, large country style kitchen/diner, with access to a back garden and side area, as well as a downstairs WC/shower room, with three dormer-style bedrooms above plus main bathroom.

VERDICT: An affordable option in glorious Glandore.