Discover the Hidden Charm of Cork’s Lough: A Lifestyle Oasis!

CORK’s exquisite wildlife amenity The Lough, a haven for coarse fish and graceful swans, as well as ice skaters during particularly harsh winters, is just a brief, direct waddling distance from BellaVista — a suburban residence that will prove to be quite a find too.

Recently listed this week with agent Michael McKenna, who conducted the initial viewings of the private residence this Thursday, BellaVista is a detached, well-maintained dormer bungalow situated on Hartland’s Road, conveniently placed just off the city end of Glasheen Road.

Located near Denroches Cross, and a bustling Centra too, Hartland’s Road extends straight down to The Lough, flanked by a variety of homes, both smaller and somewhat larger, on either side, in short terraces and pairs of semi-detached houses (both single and two-storey), alongside a few detached homes, of which BellaVista is one.

It is listed at €495,000 by Mr. McKenna, who mentions that a new occupant can simply move in and make it their own, and he points out its closeness to UCC, the Bon Secours, and its ease of access to the city center.

Additionally, a notable landmark is its nearness to The Lough, a wildlife sanctuary since the 1880s featuring approximately 1.1km of pathways encircling the enclosed waterway and its nesting island, home to various bird species such as swans, geese, ducks, moorhens, and more seasonal visitors, as well as having carp, rudd, tench, and perch lurking beneath the dark waters.

It serves as an outdoor, healthy facility for individuals, with exercise equipment set up by the water near where Hartlands Road meets The Lough, accessible only by pedestrians at this end: “all amenities are nearby,” notes Mr. McKenna.

He anticipates interest from traders, as well as various buyer profiles including staff at UCC and hospitals, and the Price Register illustrates a mix of prior sales on the cul-de-sac road.

Since 2011, a dozen sales have been recorded on Hartland Road, with the highest price of €380,000 achieved in 2018 for a residence known as Lough Villas, while the property directly next to BellaVista changed ownership just last year.

No 6 Hartland Road was featured in these pages a year prior, requiring complete renovation and qualifying for Vacant Property grants, with a projected price of €295,000.

A semi-detached bungalow, No 6 ultimately sold for €352,000, necessitating further investment before reaching its full potential. In contrast, BellaVista may only need optional expenditures if the new owners desire.

Now an executor sale following years of family ownership, it encompasses 124 sq meters or over 1,300 sq ft of living space, complete with a rear extension; it offers two ground floor bedrooms to the right of the hallway, one featuring a bay window and en suite bathroom, while a staircase to the right leads to a dormer-style bedroom, bed No 3, with windows on two sides: a bathroom is also located here.

Additionally, there are two reception rooms to the left of the hallway, each adorned with antique-style fireplaces, and the front room boasts a bay window with plantation-style shutters.

Towards the back is the kitchen, equipped with a good assortment of pine cabinetry, plus dining area, in addition to a laundry/utility area beyond, and behind lies a sunny paved/brick patio, with a southeast orientation, along with a long secure and mature garden, complete with a storage shed, and an old stone wall marking the rear boundary.

There’s off-street parking available on a brick-paved drive in front. It faces west at the front, while in view from the entrance along Glasheen Road is the newly completed development of 43 units, Hartlands Square, elegantly designed and executed by City Hall under the Rebuilding Ireland initiatives, replacing an old motor repair garage site at the juncture of Glasheen Road and Magazine Road, facing the grounds of Hayfield Manor behind a tall wall to the north.

VERDICT: BellaVista, beautiful location.