27-06-2025
Fix it up: This Carlow Town rectory seeks a heavenly revamp
Dating from 1881, The Rectory on the Kilkenny Road in Carlow Town is set in off the road behind wrought-iron gates. It has 3,840 sq ft of living space on over an acre of land with seven bedrooms, a separate coach house building and a small walled garden with mature fruit trees.
Tell me more about the place...
This late Victorian detached house has plenty of the ornate detailing you might associate with the period including bay windows, a steep roof pitch and prominent front facing gables. It was constructed using a mix of brick and granite and has distinctive façade of yellow brick topped with red tiles.
The bad news?
The Rectory may be possessed of ample 19th century charms, but there are bathroom and kitchen facilities that still reside in the 20th century. As a protected structure, any alterations and renovations will have to be carried out under the relevant guidelines and may inevitably cost more.
And the good news?
It may have had clerical origins but in recent years the house has been occupied by a local academic, a scientist who was enthusiastic in his DIY approach to maintaining the property and could often be seen spotted replacing slates on the roof.
As a result, the house is structurally sound and very dry. The owner recently put in a new boiler and maintained the windows and interior woodwork to a high standard.
How much to buy it?
DNG Country Homes is looking for offers in the region of €875,000.
And to fix it up?
Though in very structurally sound condition and technically very habitable, this is a big house, so even decorating it is going to be expensive. Painting the interior for example might set you back in the region of €20,000 or €30,000.
You could easily drop €150,000 on a modern kitchen and bathrooms meanwhile, and then there is the coach house, which could be converted
You could easily drop €150,000 on a modern kitchen and bathrooms meanwhile, and then there is the coach house, which could be converted, but would probably cost in the region of €150,000 at a minimum to do anything substantial with it.
What will I end up with?
The Kilkenny Road is home to some of the most affluent homes in town. The Rectory would offer a chance to own one of the finest of these, with the potential for substantial guest accommodation. In terms of 'bang-for-buck', it could offer value to those moving from Dublin or Kilkenny City.
Who should I talk to?
DNG's Gemma Lanigan (01) 491 2610 has the time to show you around a home with floor space nearly four times the size of the average family three-bed semi-detached.
