City to Country: Modern upgrade at one-bed D4 cottage or scenic tranquillity at coastal West Cork home

Pretty and Victorian on the outside while also being modern and upgraded on the inside, No 50 Pembroke Cottages in Donnybrook is the type of Dublin 4 property that is in high demand.

That’s according to Mark Stafford of DNG Donnybrook who just listed the one-bed mid-terrace cottage with a guide of €595,000.

“The owners refurbished and extended it around six or seven years ago. Making good use of space, they rewired, reroofed and replumbed and also put on a new roof,” he says, explaining that with insulation and double-glazed windows they brought the BER to a B2.

It includes an extended open-plan kitchen/dining/living room with white gloss units and a large rooflight. At the front there’s a bathroom, a small bedroom and a stairs leading up to a converted attic which has two rooms. A set of double doors in the kitchen open onto a patio garden.

The location is just a few minutes’ walk from shops, restaurants, and also from Herbert Park, is a key selling point. “It’s close to the RDS, the Aviva Stadium and the Grand Canal Theatre,” says Mr Stafford.

Recent sales in Donnybrook Cottages include that of No 74, a two-bed mid terrace property which sold last month for €625,000.

VERDICT: A small but modernised property in a highly desirable residential area.

Viewers of this traditional cottage-style property near Ballyvoile Cove in West Waterford will be astonished to discover that it comes with 16 acres of land.

They will also be pretty surprised when they learn that the two-bed property, which resembles was built as recently as 2010 and has a B3 BER. According to selling agent Margaret Harty of Harty & Co auctioneers, it was built by overseas owners who have used it as a second home.

“It’s an idyllic rural hideaway, surrounded by natural woodland and paddock,” she says, noting that the Dalligan River flows along the western boundary and that the stony beach at Ballyvoile Cove is within a few minutes’ stroll.

The interior and the exterior are quite traditional looking. Most of the rooms have rough-plastered walls, although both the bathroom and the kitchen are modern.

The property also has a guest WC and a basement which is used as a workshop but could be converted into additional living space.

The site consists of eight acres of woodland and eight acres of grassland and includes a woodland riverbank walk, says Ms Harty quoting a guide of €450,000. Located around 3km from Clonea Beach, the property is 5km from Stadbally village and 9km from Dungarvan.

VERDICT: A private coastal retreat on an astonishingly large site.

WHERE better to escape modern living than at a property called Suaimhneas on a scenic 0.75-acre Ring of Kerry site with views of Iveragh Peninsula mountains?

Quoting a guide of €395,000 for the modern four-bed stone-fronted bungalow at Derreenaclaurig near Sneem, selling agents Sherry FitzGerald Daly says the location is wonderfully tranquil.

“The owners are Germans who have upgraded the property to a high standard since buying it as a full-time home in 2016,’’ says auctioneer John Daly explaining that the price includes most of the contents, including high-quality furniture and a Chesterfield suite as well as German masters- style wall prints.

Built in 2005, it has a spacious open-plan kitchen/dining/living room at one end which has solid oak classic-style kitchen units with granite worktops and an oak-floored living area with a double-height ceiling and a large window.

There’s also a bathroom, a utility room and four bedrooms including two with en suites. A front-facing bedroom with scenic mountain views has become a well-equipped home office.

The property has a C1 BER with oil-fired heating and an electric system which provides both heat and air conditioning.

VERDICT: A well-named property which is comfortable and scenic as well as peaceful.

THE coastal views and scenic tranquility of Song of Nature at Ardnaturrish Beg near Glengarriff could make it look awfully attractive to a relocating buyer.

Thirty years ago it enticed its German owners to move to West Cork. To give themselves better sea views they added a large windowed two storey extension to the property which had been a two-bed bungalow when they bought it.

Located a few hundred metres from the rocky shoreline, the enlarged four-bed property has just under half an acre of woodland gardens and also includes a three-bed guest cottage used as a holiday rental. Seeking offers of €575,000, Olivia Hanafin of Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill says the setting and the views are exceptional.

Built in the 1980s and extended in the 1990s, the property has 150 sq m of living space and a C2 BER. The three-bed guest cottage offers an additional 48 sq m of accommodation.

The rooms with the best sea views are in the extension and include a sunroom, a dining room and two first-floor bedrooms. In the original bungalow there’s a sitting room, a kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms, and a utility room.

Sheltered by mature trees The Song of Nature has well planted gardens and a patio at the side. Located at Derrycreha, it’s 6km from Glengarriff and 12km from Bantry.

VERDICT: Has the kind of sea views anyone would want to wake up to.