City to Country: Renovated 1950s Limerick flat-roof or large gardens and scenic views at €595k Kenmare home

The transformation of this 1950s-built, flat-roofed house at No 31 Lanahrone Avenue, Irish Estates, Corbally in Limerick into a stylish 21st Century property has been thorough.

Built by Irish Life in response to the post-war housing crisis, the Irish Estates development of semi-detached houses was seen as a means of providing accommodation for pilots flying newly started transatlantic flights from Shannon airport. With their American-influenced flat roofed design and a range of mod cons not widely available at the time, the houses must have been considered the epitome of style.

Having been extended and given a high-spec finish, No 31 is once again stylishly smart. Retaining the original design while adding a 40 sq metre extension at the rear, the owner wrapped the semi-detached house in external insulation and added a heat pump to secure an A3 BER.

Inside the layout is open plan and stylish with polished floor tiles, a quartz-topped kitchen with handleless dark grey units and a large island unit, roof lights and floor-to-ceiling windows and patio doors. There’s also a living room and a wet room while the upper floor has a modern bathroom and two bedrooms where it once had three.

“It’s a stylish low-maintenance, energy efficient and modern home in one of Limerick's most sought-after areas,” says Sean McGee of Sherry FitzGerald Limerick quoting a guide of €595,000 and noting that it’s close to schools and is two km from the city centre

VERDICT: A distinctive and ultra-stylish home.

A Waterford city buyer looking for a change of scenery might take a trip to view this attractively designed gable front dormer property with a Juliet balcony at Gaultier Cross near Dunmore East.

“It’s just a five-minute drive from Dunmore East village and beach but is within a 15-minute drive from Waterford city hospital," says Petrina Walsh of Purcell Properties adding that the 1999 built property is a lovingly cared for home with three-quarters of an acre of gardens.

On the market with a guide of €525,000, it offers 203 sq metres of living space and also has its own gym which was added by the owners in recent years in a timber barna shed at one side of the house.

The ground floor has a sitting room with Canadian ash flooring as well as a spacious kitchen diner, a utility room and bathroom. The downstairs also has two bedrooms while the upstairs has three including a large one at the front with an en suite and a Juliet balcony.

Fitted with oil-fired central heating, the house has a C3 Ber. In the very extensive triangular-shaped gardens there’s space for basketball and soccer as well as a sheltered patio enclosed by a wall at the front and another by the gym at the side.

VERDICT: Worth taking a trip to view.

Spacious, detached, and modern with large gardens and scenic views of the countryside and nearby hills, this four-bed house at Killowen near Kenmare is set to attract both local and overseas interest.

That’s according to Tadhg O’Sullivan of DNG O’Sullivan who says that properties of this size (265 sq m) on this size site (almost half an acre) can be hard to find within a five-minute drive from Kenmare town.

“It’s an exceptionally well-located property which has been very well maintained by the owners who built it in 2006,” he says, noting that it includes a purpose-built detached 58sq m home office.

A B3-rated property, it has two timber-floored living rooms with fireplaces as well as a kitchen/ diner with cream-fitted units and a centre island. The ground floor also has a bathroom and a utility room while upstairs there is a bathroom and four bedrooms including one en suite.

Accessed by a long driveway, the house has mature well-planted gardens with a large patio and several outbuildings.

“It offers the perfect blend of rural tranquillity and convenience,” says Mr O’Sullivan noting that it’s the type of property that relocators to the area often look for.

Located around 2.5km from Kenmare, the house is 41km from Killarney.

VERDICT: The location close to Kenmare town and Kenmare Bay is a key attraction.

Called Bond’s Lodge after one of its original owners, this 1930s-built property at Libgate, Kilmore Quay has been reinvented as an extra spacious contemporary home.

“It’s a luxurious four-bed property which was redesigned by an architect and completely rebuilt,’’ reveals Bobby Kehoe of Kehoe Auctioneers noting that it has a high spec finish and an A3 BER rating achieved with insulation, a heat pump and triple glazing.

As a nod towards its 1930s origins, the property has a stone-clad, single-storey section at the front which is used as a living room and has a circular stained-glass window with an image of a lighthouse.

Beyond this, there’s a huge modern kitchen /dining /living room and with quartz-topped units, an island unit and an almost fully glazed wall. Also downstairs there’s a bedroom and a bathroom while the upstairs has three en suite bedrooms.

Outside there’s half an acre of gardens with a large patio, a parking area, a garage and a lawn.

“Bond’s Lodge is just two km from Kilmore Quay – a charming fishing village where you can stroll on the beach or take a boat to Saltee island says Mr Kehoe noting that families thinking of relocating to the area can avail of schools and amenities in the villages of Kilmore and Bridgetown.

On the market with a guide of €650.000, the property is 21 km from Wexford town.

VERDICT: Ultra-modern and spacious, it’s within a ten-minute walk from the sea.