Trading Up
This 2,000 sq ft dormer home has all the basics in fine fettle for a family looking to trade up in the Ardfield/Clonakilty area of West Cork — and the views from the back should clinch a sale deal.
The dormer home is at Wood Road, Balteenbrack, a slip road in the scattered village where a handful of one-off homes have some of the very best elevated views in the hinterland, overlooking Rosscarbery Bay, Galley Head lighthouse, and the Atlantic, in all of its moods.
Selling agent Henry O’Leary guides this dash-finished home at €375,000, noting it’s on a good-sized site on the Wood Road with all day sun (when it shines), and has two first floor bedrooms (one en suite) and two/three more at ground level, with bed 5 also described as an optional study. There are two reception rooms, and a large 25’ by 16’ kitchen/dining room, with the best of views from its light-flooded rear window. The property includes a detached double garage, with overhead studio.
VERDICT: About six miles from Clonakilty, and with national school, church, bar, creamery shop, GAA club, tennis courts and beach all to hand, this is a family home with lifestyle bonus.
There’s room to roam, inside and outside, at this three-storey Georgian style home at Ballingoola, near Limerick’s scenic Lough Gur and Ballyneety, which was built only about six years ago.
First up, it’s got 13 acres of land with it, so that sets it apart from the usual run of new-builds on a ’mere’ acre or so. And, with 3,700 sq ft inside, this will accommodate families of all sizes as well.
On the market with Pat Dooley of the Dooley Group, it’s only about a 15 minute car spin to Limerick city, and its grounds inside electric gates and curved entrance pillars include a winding avenue, railed paddocks, stream and river bank.
A feature spiral stairs gives access to a top floor with two sizeable rooms with Veluxes, the middle floor has four double bedrooms, two with en suites, the main bathroom has a bath, and the landing’s large.
Down at ground level there are four reception rooms, kitchen, utility, guest WC and a conservatory.
VERDICT: Even though it’s six years old, it needs some final touches like choice of flooring, etc.
Very good finishing work has been done to distinguish the extended three-bed semi-d at Cork city’s 17 Ardmanning Avenue, near the Lough and SuperValu, for sale with Johnny O’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald.
Smartly pushed out to the rear, with a very good quality kitchen/dining area as a result, it’s a bit of an eye-catcher thanks to different shaped ceilings, three Veluxes for light and gloss units, topped with a mocha-coloured quartz: this decent 17’ by 15 space looks out over a fully paved back garden.
Off to the side is a long, long family/TV room, about 25’ deep thanks to the rear extension, and about 10’ wide, with twin large sofas ranged up looking at a low wall-mounted TV, and a wall-mounted contemporary gas stove. There’s rear patio access from sliding doors in this room, and from the dining space.
In addition, there’s a front living room, oak-floored, with bay window and a wood-burning stove, plus utility, and ground floor shower room.
The entire house has been upgraded over the past few years, wired, plumbed, insulated, has above-standard lights and bathrooms (with heated towel rails) and upstairs one of the three bedrooms now is en suite, plus there’s a family bathroom.
VERDICT: A great job done here for a small family, but those looking for more than three bedrooms will have to consider a garage or attic conversion.
A good B3 BER rating comes with the detached family home at 4 The Orchards, in Glanmire’s Castlejane Woods, a 15 minute commute from Cork city, for sale with DNG Kevin Condon.
The comfortable four bed home (or, five beds if you want to make use of a 16’ by 8’ ground floor play room) is one of just six houses in this niche and quiet section within Castlejane Woods and has a private, tiered back garden with patio, gravel area, and raised beds with lawns and perimeter landscaping.
Inside, it’s modern, nicely decorated and kept, with pine kitchen units, and has two reception rooms, interconnected via double doors. There’s garden access to the rear, from a dining room via a sliding patio door.
Overhead are four bedrooms, one of which is en suite, plus family bathroom with jetted bath. The attic is reached thanks to pull-down stairs, and is insulated and partly floored for extra storage, insulation standards throughout are good, and the porch helps also to keep No 4 cosy and heated.
VERDICT: A good option for families trading up in the area, it’s quietly set, has valley views, is near a creche and Glanmire itself is also well serviced.
