Montenotte house has 1900s character with a 2010s makeover

THERE’s a nice mix of different house styles and facades at Cork’s St Anne’s Park, above Montenotte and close to Gardiner’s Hill. It’s one of a series of interlinked estates built around the 1920s and 1930s, now very mature, and different ‘small’ builders did different clusters and pairings back in the early days.

Three pairs of semi-ds, in one section, have protruding front bay windows and timbered gables, and now, one is back for sale, after a full refurb.

Listed at €395,000 with estate agent Terry Hayes of Barry Auctioneers is No 23, or Innisfail, a three-bed home of about 1,140 sq ft now, after a modest enough rear single story add-on, virtually a full back wall of glass in the main, modern kitchen/dining room.

It’s of the exact same proportion to the back extension of its ‘other half’ over the garden boundary wall, only its next door neighbour chose to put a couple Velux roof lights up in the flat roof for extra good measure.

Mr Hayes says that Innisfail, or No 23 St Anne’s Drive, was done up about three or four years ago, with sensitivity to the early 1900s home’s internal character, and needs no work.

Thus, there’s a lovely original fireplace in the main, front reception room with bay window, while on the other side double doors open to a second reception room, also with a fireplace.

Not only that, but all three of the first floor bedrooms have kept heart with hearth, and have original fireplaces, more or less for a visual lift and link, as there’s gas central heating in place too.

Also nicely original in feel, yet fresh, is the hall, with its old tiled floor, original panel doors painted white, and coat hooks under the stairs.

Terry Hayes describes Innisfail as “totally renovated and extended in recent years, in excellent decorative condition throughout and tastefully decorated and maintained by the current owners.”

His early interest is coming from some first-time buyers (presumably with a bit more budget to hand than most FTBs), as well as traders down, and people relocating back to the city, for convenience sake. The Price Register shows just three resales here at St Anne’s Drive since 2010, the lowest at €258,000 and the most recent, of No 29, at €355,000 in 2015.

My Hayes gauges the distance to the city as being a 20 minute walk, it’s downhill all the way, while there’s a choice of primary and secondary schools in the hinterland too.

Right now, Innisfail has on-street parking (many neighbours have opened up gardens for drives) with a front garden with pedestrian access gate with its original name plate and lettering, with side passage access to a walled back garden and patio, facing more or less south, with an old stone wall at the back boundary with glimpses of the more modern detached homes at Merrion Court just visible behind.

VERDICT: a city charmer.

Montenotte, Cork €395,000

Size: 106 sq m (1,140 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 2 BER: D1