Quality home at a price

Tommy Barker is impressed with the design of a Crosshaven home.

IF you go down to the woods today you'd better not go alone try taking an accommodating bank manager with you.

Carrying a price guide of €1.25 million, the woodland house 8 Brookwood which hit the market last week is a covetable home viewers are likely to be won over by the quality of the build as much as by the mature woods setting near Crosshaven in Cork harbour.

There's 3,000 sq ft of living space, on a site of 1.25 acres in a woodland clearing, one of 10 sites developed in the last 15 years amid 78 acres of mature hardwood and 100-year old pines.

This particular house, no 8, is a carpenter/builder's own home, and was built about six years ago and every room has the imprint of a woman with an astute design eye: it is feminine, without being fussy.

Laura Ashley has had rolls of fabric sold into this place, and any new owner will get to pick up the curtains and blinds as part of the sale, making it easier to maintain continuity of the 'look.' Selling agent is Pierce Cuthbert of Property Choice, but the standard estate agent's sales brochure optional 'carpets and curtains included' line doesn't fit, though, as there's not a carpet to be had in the house.

Floors downstairs are in smart chestnut plank sections in the dining room, hall, lounge and family room, the bright, high-ceilinged sun room to the back of the house has a pine floor, chunky trussed roof, low brick walls and painted teak double glazed window frames.

The 25' by 13' kitchen has a porcelain-tiled floor, Belfast sink, granite worktops, integrated units and a range cooker, while the dining area has a warming cast iron fireplace for extra cheer and calorific output.

This house has four bedrooms, all overhead, one with en suite and walk-in/saunter out wardrobe, a main bathroom, while downstair's plumbing quotient is added to by a guest WC and a well-served utility. There's also a ground floor study or home office, with IT access point.

For those who might want to work from home there's also scope for an office or den in a perfect retreat room over the woods-style car port, and for work afficionados there's a workshed as well.