Cois Atha homes have more than just ‘A’ energy ratings as extras

BEDROOMS top and bottom, and living areas in the middle — these just-completed Cois Atha, Skibbereen houses are more than a little bit different.

Carrying a coveted ‘A’ energy BER rating, this scheme of nine only, four and five bed houses is in a hot local location, between the west Cork market town and the golf club, with the sea and beaches nearby at Baltimore and around Castletownshend.

The large houses with around 1,600 sq ft of space in the four-bed semis are best pitched at larger families, with a ‘parents’ suite’ taking up the top floor and about 375 sq ft of private domestic space up there.

Entry to the houses is at mid-level, facilitated or necessitated by the site’s slope, and there are three ground floor bedrooms, one of them en suite and with sliding patio door to the garden, plus ground floor study and family bathroom. The houses have side door access as well to the gardens.

The entry/middle level is largely given over to a 26’ by 13’ living/dining room, with a standard sized kitchen off, and there’s a utility room across the hall with a guest WC beyond that again.

Features include underfloor heating, solar panels, high insulation levels and a block build with stone exterior, concrete floors at ground and first floor level, feature stove heating, and hardwood flooring in the main living area.

Selling agent for the six semis and three c 1,750 sq ft five bed detacheds is Henry O’Leary. Prices are from €320,000 for the c 1,600 sq ft four-bed semis includes tiling, decoration but no kitchen, while the showhouse (open in September) will be priced around €350,000. Prices for the three five-bed detacheds are not finalised.

Developer is larger than life local man John Kearney, an action figure (apart from being a jet pilot, he’s swum out to Cape Clear and to the Fastnet) whose interests include several diving, maritime and tourism businesses in Baltimore.

“These are very high quality finished homes in what’s arguably Skibbereen’s best residential location, above the Baltimore Road ” comments Henry O’Leary.