House of the week

YOU’D sort of know that the owners of this family home at Ballyard, Dungourney, about eight miles from Midleton in rural east Cork, had built before — there’s the feeling they knew what they wanted.

The contemporary take on the two-storey farmhouse works in the setting, just perhaps needing tree planting and other landscaping to further bed it down on its grassy acre site, which faces toward a forestry-covered hill north of Midleton.

Already, this well-proportioned storey and a half/two-storey home has a children’s play area to the rear like a small adventure park, along with outbuildings and sheds (with safe compound for dogs), and plenty of car parking and turning space in front, ready for future seasons of colourful garden planting along the perimeter. And, the back garden’s lawn is cut into by a sizeable paved space, ideal for shooting basketball hoops well away from pristine white painted walls.

The house itself (designed by Barry Mulcahy in Midleton) has crisp white render, with black pvc windows, Thrutone slate roof and is set off in front and behind by some judicious use of limestone, modestly by the porch/front entrance, and behind in the extra-high sun room opening to the back garden and patio.

Built about three years ago, it comes up for sale with Miah McGrath of McCarthy and McGrath in Midleton, guiding the four-bedroomed one-off at €380,000, and stressing the level and quality of finish.

Rooms include double height hallway with gallery landing in its middle, a feature open hardwood staircase with slender steel balusters or rods, a sitting room, play rooms, open and large kitchen/living/dining room with oak units, white quartz stone topped island and recessed lighting with terrazzo-type marble tiled floor, utility and guest WC.

Overhead the master bedroom is en suite, with a stand-alone bedhead between the bed and the walk-in wardrobe/dressing room and an en suite bathroom, there’s a main family bathroom, plus a shared ‘Jack and Jill’ en suite between two of the other bedrooms.

Heating here is via a four-zone oil-fired burner, plus there’s a solid fuel Waterford Erin stove with back boiler as a dual fuel option, raised on small stone plinth in the sitting room. In addition, it has a pressurised hot water system and has been plumbed and set up for solar panels. Other extra provision touches include lots of sockets, TV and phone points, with CAT 5 and satellite cabling (engineer was Ian O’Flynn of Harrington O’Flynn.)

According to Mr McGrath, this Ballyard home is a quality property, with a certain Wow! factor, and its centrepiece is the open and airy hall (with overhead Velux). Its level of joinery in the distinctive gallery landing and staircase lifts it, literally, above the norm.

VERDICT: The location is rural, and the house is well-delivered on its acre. Ideal for those who want comfort in the countryside retreat. Cork city’s within a manageable commute too.