Walk in order at €450k Woodlawn will see swift sale in bustling Cork suburb

THERE’s a few ‘3’s to digest at No 20 Woodlawn: this semi-detached home has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and, more importantly, has had a complete turnaround over the past three years.

The mid-1900s semi-d featured here in 2021 when it had come up for sale with an older-era rear extension and a quoted floor area of c 1,600 sq ft.

Now, it’s quite different after a full makeover and an energy upgrade to a B2 BER standard. It is also described today as a three-bed of 1,400 sq ft – what’s happened?

Well, it isn’t shrinkflation, that’s for sure. It’s just that the quoted size before included the attached garage. Now, the selling agent has excluded the garage from his calculated size as it’s not at present a habitable space… but it’s still there.

In just about every other regard, No 20 is a different proposition, bought as a renovation challenge and project by a couple with engineering skills who are now selling the finished job in a hot Cork suburban area, the city end of the Model Farm Road.

Today, 20 Woodlawn, near the church at Dennehy’s Cross, is launched at €700,000 by Johnny O’Flynn, of Sherry FitzGerald, who says he got an instant reaction to its listing on Monday this week.

When last sold, it fetched €450,000, above a then-asking price of €385,000, in a more basic condition.

No 20 has also been replumbed with new bathrooms and has a new kitchen, with island, now open to the hall since the external insulation and new front door keeps the interior more cosy.

Cosy? There’s even a smart dog bed tucked away in a small space left open under the stairs, both fun and functional for furry friends and an indicator that not an inch of space gets wasted.

Off the kitchen too is a small larder, a utility room and a crisp guest WC, tiled floor and panelled walls painted dark blue. There’s also access to a reduced-size garage, with new roller door to the front of the house.

Also fully redone is the main family bathroom, while the front bedroom has an en suite off, with an access door on a sliding rail, a handy space-saver increasingly finding favour and in fashion.

Several walls internally have feature panelling and there are some attractive vertical-mounted radiators adding a modern look, along with easy-to-work-with colours and all new flooring.

The well-aspected back faces the old/former Infant Jesus/St Joseph’s Convent/home, where planning for a 450-bed student accommodation development has just been refused on appeal to An Bord Pleanála, concurring with the local city council decision to refuse the application from Lyons-hall, who had paid about €2.5m for the site.

Mr O’Flynn says the Woodlawn location, at the city end of Model Farm Road, ”is one of Cork’s most premier addresses”.

Indeed, he’s been selling new homes across the road at Merton Lodge at prices of €1.2m/€1.3m for detached 2,100/2,700 sq ft four-beds, with four-bed 1,800 sq ft semi-ds at €780,000, while there are a few three-bed semis yet to be offered and priced.

VERDICT: As good as new, in a settled suburban setting, with box-ticking good aspect and garden, great BER and an ever-popular location near hospitals/employers, shops, sports facilities, schools, and colleges.

The most recent sale here was that of No 23 in 2022 at €495,000, hot on the heels of this one, No 20’s €450k in 2021.

It looks like the Woodlawn price bar at this walk-in order home is about to be raised quite a bit more….