Bank House is a block of apartments housed in an attractive former financial institution at the Cornmarket end of Thomas Street. Facing Francis Street, number 15 is a one-bedroom apartment that is situated at the top of the building and while tired, it has a sunny aspect and a terrace that runs the length of the apartment which extends to an impressive distance of 15 metres.
There is a lot of potential for this outdoor space with scope to divide it into different areas, perhaps installing gas-fired outdoor heating or even an outdoor kitchen where you could barbecue all year round. It is noisy out there on weekdays but weekends are quieter and this is city centre living.
That minor criticism is outweighed by the aspect. The terrace has glass balustrades, views of the mountains as well as Christ Church Cathedral and St Audoen’s Church. The timber decking needs replacing as it is soft in parts and the drains need close inspection but the sunlight streams in, so much so that the current owner has blacked out several panes of the glazing with a black film to keep the light from overheating the apartment – the very idea that an apartment might suffer from thermal gain to such an extent as to be uncomfortable is almost laughable in this country.
The rest of the space, which measures 43sq m /462sq ft, needs minor reconfiguring to make the most of its layout. You walk into a hall with storage on one side where sliding doors rather than the traditional kind would free up space.
A large chunk of the livingroom has been carved out to house the hot water tank but with a combi boiler having been recently installed on the terrace this valuable space is in part redundant and could, perhaps, subject to a plumber’s inspection, be moved to free this up to become part of the sitting cum diningroom.
A set of steps leads down to the bathroom, an internal space that would be transformed if you replaced the wall facing the hall with glass. So too would the sittingroom if you installed a glass wall opening it to the hall.
The kitchen cabinets and counters are all tired but with gas-fired central heating there is an option to upgrade the oven and hob to gas – if you like to cook.
The bedroom is a good size and has built-in wardrobes and views out to the terrace.
The property is asking €250,000 through agents Sherry FitzGerald. The management fee is €1,630 per annum.
