Height of style in Killeens

WHAT do you do when everything’s done? Start again. And that’s what the couple at Killeens, Co Cork are hoping will happen following the sale of their house at No 1 The Heights.

This is their first build and it’s a credit to them. Finished to showhouse standard inside and outside, it has yards of decking, good finishing and fencing and a proper garage.

And the need for an even bigger garage is part of the drive for the couple’s tinkering half — rebuilding old bikes in one’s spare time takes space — lots of it.

Meanwhile, the amateur interior decorator side has themed herself out, and so with every element complete, (and a different look in every bedroom), there is the creative imperative for a new home.

Which leaves it to auctioneer Humphrey Hogan to bring in the buyers, and at the guide of €465,000, for a 2,900 square foot house, he’s off to a good start.

The stone-fronted dormer bungalow stands on a third of an acre site, part of a niche scheme of self-build houses with complementary looks.

It has most of its living space downstairs, but upstairs there are two dormer rooms, with separate access off a central landing and the larger of the two, (now used as a snooker room), has a big shower room at the gable end which would be perfect as a home gym too.

The smaller room is used as a playroom and for ironing and there’s also a fine utility downstairs, with direct access outdoors.

The house faces west, with most of the garden to the front and a small utility patch to the rear, with a wide deck taking up the western side of the house. This is set behind fencing for privacy.

The main entrance is through an attractive stone porch, leading into a widened entrance hall with the smaller of two living rooms to the left.

This has windows on two sides and like the rest of the house, has solid maple flooring. A solid ash stairs leads to the upper level and on the right hand side, there’s access to the kitchen/dining/sunroom.

A big bright space, it’s fitted with Shaker maple units and has a working island unit, with range cooker and porcelain floors.

The dining and sitting area make the most of the aspect and the sunroom leads directly onto the deck, which is subtly finished on two levels. The garage, too, has a complementary stone facade.

On the opposite side of the entrance hallway is the larger and more formal of the two living rooms. It comes with solid fuel stove, simple sandstone fireplace and maple flooring.

Then, there are the bedrooms, starting with an en suite boys room, a double guest bedroom (also en suite), a girls’ room, a fourth bedroom and finally, the large master bedroom, also en suite.

The main bathroom, meanwhile, has a corner Jacuzzi bath and is fully tiled.

Really, nothing remains to be done in this house — the rooms are pristine, the gardens are mature and the accommodation is more than adequate for even the largest family. All that’s left is the haggle.