Remodelled former home of horticulturalist on Dundanion Road is good to grow

Villa Maria, 51 Dundanion Road, Blackrock

Blackrock, Cork

€815,000

Size

175 sq m (1884 sq ft)

Bedrooms

5

Bathrooms

3

BER

B3

WHO knew that Cork City Council has a full-time horticulturalist overseeing the greening of the city, with a commitment to biodiversity? Who wouldn't be keen to buy a home from some such person, confident that they know their onions when it comes to choosing what best to plant?

The opportunity presents itself here, at Villa Maria, 51 Dundanion Road, a home built in 1976 by a horticulturalist with the Council's predecessor, Cork Corporation.

The work this man did in his 0.25-acre garden proved so inspirational to its next set of owners that despite investing heavily in transforming No 51's interior, they are now relocating to the countryside, having developed quite an appetite for cultivating, and with plans to scale up their efforts.

The upshot is the arrival to market of a home with a very measured makeover, a nice balance between fresh and retro, the way a gardener might alter the PH in his soil to promote healthy growth.

If the house looks a tad angular from the kerbside, rest assured it's all good inside, and don't we know it's what's on the inside that counts?

It's bright and inviting, particularly the main living space, where walls were removed and the layout cleverly re-arranged to create four distinct areas (kitchen/breakfast area/lounge area/dining).

Even with this fine big space, there's more rooms to choose from, including a separate living room and a home office with a wealth of shelving.

There's a laundry room too and a guest WC..

Upstairs, the main bedroom of five is ensuite while the others share the family bathroom.

The current owners bought No 51 in 2013 and the Property Price Register shows they paid just over €390,000. In the decade since, they’ve put a hell of a lot into it, laying new floors, installing new doors, opening up the main living area, replacing all of the windows with double glazed upgrades, improving insulation by plasterboarding the whole house, fitting new radiators, which can be heated off the 17kWh back boiler.

"The house is pretty warm now," says selling agent Jackie Cohalan, who adds that the owners only need to fill up the oil tank about once every 18 months.

Their efforts had the added benefit of improving the energy rating from a lowly E2 to a highly commendable B3.

The work didn't end there. In 2016, new quality carpets from Casey's were laid and in 2017, a new kitchen was fitted, with quartz worktop and solid oak doors. The door to the rear is glazed, framing a lovely garden view.

Even with all that the current owners have done, new owners could, if they wanted to, do more: Ms Cohalan says the c 46sq m attic, which is divided into three rooms which are currently out of use, could be returned to use. The back garden, with its lovely old greenhouse, has a number of raised vegetable beds and "an eclectic collection of shrubs and trees", says Ms Cohalan, and new owners will have plenty of room to grow-their-own.

A separate detached garage provides additional storage options or scope for a home office/studio.

No 51's location is the ultimate bonus, just off Beaumont Drive, a prime residential location well served by public transport and with every manner of amenity close by, such as schools, sports facilities and recreational areas (Marina Park, boat clubs, tennis club, GAA etc), not to mention its proximity to Blackrock village with its weekend farmers’ market and good selection of bars and cafés.

As the guide price is €815,000, it's in the trade-up category.

VERDICT: Ideal for those seeking a well-located, warm, inviting home with room to grow.

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