Second chance for a dream home
SOME properties come under the 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to buy.
Fortunately. for some prospective buyer, Bloomfield Cottage offers a second chance to pick it up.
The house - 'cottage' is way too small a word and description for this plush place - last changed hands just a year ago, and its owners, who were then re-locating back to Ireland from the US, only moved in two months back after a series of further upgrades and interior changes.
And, then came the job offer back in the United States that couldn't be refused, and now the Irish-American owners/buyers have suddenly become Bloomfield's vendors.
There was a hint of serendipity about their purchase of this almost 4,000 sq ft home last year; with its extensive outdoor decking and relaxation areas and a proper basement, it seemed ideally tailored to buyers into enjoying their wide open spaces.
Location of this sprawling, beguiling and simply very different 'cottage' is a couple of miles west of Cork city, just off the new Ballincollig by-pass at Ballyburden, Waterfall.
The new Maglin Bridge fly-over gives a quick link to 21st century Ballincollig and its new town centre developments, but the folds and fissures in the wooded hillsides here seem to anchor Bloomfield Cottage to a gentler, more bucolic past.
Except, this place has modern touches like a zoned music system, good heating and even some air conditioning units, a sunken garden spot just waiting for a hot-tub to be plumbed in, a Jacuzzi bath, and bespoke interiors with high vaulted ceilings, and a soaring glass roof section as a crowning glory to a sun room and master bedroom balcony area.
Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald is handling the sudden surge of viewers since news of its re-sale filtered out in the last week or two, and she guides it at €730,000-plus, noting the scarcity of good trading-up options west of the city and within a few minutes' drive of the suburbs.
When she last sold Bloomfield for its previous owners who had done much of the physical and creative work on it, it was an almost-finished project, and the current owners took it further again.
Frustratingly, for them, they are on the hoof back to the US again before they even got a chance to un-pack all of their belongings: the year in Cork will be seen as a 'gap year' or sabbatical for the family of four children (plus two dogs and a cat) laughs the Dublin-born woman of the house who gave the place and interior design make-over.
Salvaged materials have been used in abundance here to give the place a natural, almost organic feel, so there's some exposed stone, some limestone corbels, old brick, mellow old flooring, reclaimed church pine doors and windows 2004 and two huge
Tiffany-style stained glass ceiling lights in the basement den, hovering like some ominous flying saucers or lurking jellyfish.
In all, there's living space on a surprising four levels - basement, ground, first floor and one attic level room. There are six bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen, utility, dining room, family room or formal dining space, a 30' by 17' drawing room, and sun room.
The proper basement, with internal and external access to a stepped decked area, is ideal for home-office, granny flat or au pair's suite. Truly, this is a house with options.
Quirkiness mixes with comfort and a restrained colour palette, and the master bedroom alone at 36' by 16' with ensuite, walk-in closet, and gable French doors just waiting for a balcony to be added on overlooking the woodland setting will be enough to convert many viewers.
If anyone needs further convincing, the grounds should do it for them.
Skilfully landscaped, they have lots of maturity, stone walled entrance pillars, extensive planting, hefty fences and there's a seating area at a gurgling stream and old stone arched bridge at the end of the garden to wrap up this pastoral package.
It is not likely to be too long on the market this time around.
