CO CARLOW:A former 1800s rectory in Carlow and a young vicar's house in Dublin have both had modern makeovers

COUNTRY life beckoned the owners of this restored former rectory the village of Rathvilly, Co Carlow, but having completely restored the house, and turned the outbuildings into holiday lets, the couple have now changed their plans and are moving back to Dublin.

Thus The Old Rectory, which they bought less than two years ago, is back on the market. Knight Frank is asking €680,000 for the five-bedroom house which was built in the early 1800s as a dower house to the nearby Lisnavagh Estate and subsequently sold to the Church of Ireland.

The property is located within walking distance of the village of Rathvilly on the river Slaney. It’s a quaint place that previously won an award in the Tidy Towns competition and has a fine old square. An hour’s drive will bring you to Dublin while Carlow town is a half hour away.

The Old Rectory stands on two acres of well-kept grounds with lovely views over the surrounding countryside towards Mount Leinster.

The house has been thoroughly renovated in the last couple of years and the result is a home that is ready to walk into.

A lot of expensive work has been done – a new central heating system has been installed, including some underfloor heating, and many of the windows have been replaced with new sash windows by Marvin. Walls and ceilings have been drylined. Decor is by Farrow Ball and the kitchen is fitted with solid oak units by Fired Earth. Fired Earth also provided the bathroom fittings in both the main bathroom upstairs, with its large, cast-iron bath, and in the en suite of the main bedroom – which like other bedrooms, has a cast-iron fireplace.

Renovations extended to the coachyard where the old stables were converted into three separate units, one of which is a dance studio which can easily reconvert to an additional kitchen since the necessary piping has been laid.