Cover story: Ballinlough, Cork €285,000

Size: 116 sq m (1,250 sq ft)

Here’s a house that proves you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover.

Even though it has smart kerb appeal from the get go, there’s way more going on, or gone on, inside. Oh, and more going on underneath as well, as it’s even got a basement.

In fact, No 10 Pic du Jer Close is virtually a new build from the walls in, with just a few ceilings and one radiator having survived the purge, and the purposeful revamp.

Set in a cul-de-sac off Cork’s suburban Ballinlough Road, No 10 is just a couple of weeks on the market, and it’s already under heavy viewings with agent Michael Powell of Powell Property.

He gives it a €285,000 AMV (the same price the current owner paid in 2010 when she bought it from an elderly couple, in an ‘original’ state) — but it most likely will go past the €300k level, given that it’s a walk-in job, in absolute mint order, with a high spec, and designer finishes and fabrics throughout.

Effectively, the owners ripped the place apart in 2012, taking down four internal walls to get better use of space and light, and then pieced it all back together in 2013, and along the way they opened up access to a basement level. More of a construction feature than a design feature, they’re in many of these 1980s-built Pic du Jer Close homes, built on a stilt foundation, but largely left unexplored by home owners — head height is low, about 5’ — but great for storage.

On a sloping site, No 10 in the Close faces east to a green, while the sun-trap back garden is stepped, fully paved, and landscaped, with a shed.

It was very much done with a view to being a room outside, and two sets of French doors open out to it.

Thanks to a side annex (garage-like, linked to the house next door) there’s a second front entrance to the side of No 10, and this opens to a utility, with side guest WC, and then into the kitchen/dining room, which is 18’ long and 10’ wide. A Velux has been put on the pitched roof above, to draw morning light into the kitchen/dining space, and more flows through glazed doors.

The kitchen is the funky heart of this young family home, done with quality units and appliances from Miele and Siemens, as the occupants are culinary fiends.

And while the decor and accent items definitely lean to the colourful and girly end of the spectrum, wall colours and fabrics (Laura Ashley, Next etc) are pretty neutral so it’s going to be an easy house to move into and make one’s own. The only ‘love it or loathe it’ item (and nearly all viewers like it) is probably the assertive, candy-stripe glass kitchen splash backs from Cork Glass on either side of the galley kitchen, in stripes of pinks and greens.

Look a little bit beyond, and you’ll keep seeing decor and kitchen items picking up the same vibrant hues: there’s very much a colour theme going on here.

Kitchen units, from InHouse, are high-gloss cream, sans handles, so they spring open and closed, and the breakfast bar is made from solid oak sections.

The floor’s also in a cream tile, and the dining end opens to the back patio garden, where the exterior level was raised to give quite a seamless flow from inside to outdoors.

The house’s main floor area is given over to two interconnecting reception rooms, each with fireplaces sourced from Classic Fireplaces and open fires, plumbed for gas but not fitted — the vendors just love real, flickering wood and turf fires.

Two sets of glazed double doors mean the main back living area can be shut off from the kitchen/dining section and from the front play room.

All in all, it’s a good, and highly adaptable floor plan, which gets light from both east and west. Floors in both living spaces are chunky, limed oak boards.

The overall effect downstairs is of a bigger house than No 10 really is (bar a bit of narrowing in the hallway,) and agent Michael Powell estimates it at about 1,250 sq ft in all.

There’s a new stairs, with striped carpet, quality lighting throughout with lots of low-energy LED spots and some feature fittings. The first floor bathroom is a fully-tiled affair, with large inset wall mirror, double shower and designer sink with vanity stand and storage.

Despite the considerable spend on No 10, the owners decided not to add an extension or to built above the side kitchen, though other Pic du Jer homes have done this, and a few also have gone into the attic for an extra bedroom.

So right now the first floor at No 10 has that good bathroom and three bedrooms, all with built-in robes.

Well, that’s not strictly true: the smallest, 11’ by 7’ room had been used as a dressing room, with banks of built-ins, but the arrival of a second baby a few weeks prior to Christmas meant the room was pressed into service as a nursery, and the built-ins were removed down to the basement.

New owners can easily reinstate them, says Mr Powell.

All three bedrooms are carpeted, in a top finish sourced from Casey’s (who also did most of the furniture) and have a 25 year guarantee and are said to be stain-proof.

They’ve already passed the accidental Calpol spill test — and that stuff is like glue.

Given the lack of good house stock in the Ballinlough /Douglas area, there’s a surge of early viewers and at the risk of pigeon-holing bidding interest, No 10 is probably best suited to a singleton or a couple, while traders-down have also shown interest.

For families with more than one child, it’s likely they’d add another room and/or an en suite above the kitchen/utility wing. Other than that, it’s just an immaculate home.

Money wasn’t spared in the gutting and rebuilding, and features include quality finishes inside and out, such as granite sets by the front door, particular attention to drains given the site’s slope, and there’s an alarm, and CCTV camera coverage, with panic button.

When reworked, the walls were pumped for extra insulation, and replastered in every room (though a few ceilings have kept a stipple finish), electrical switches, sockets and door hinges are stainless steel and paint finishes are well done too.

Other key attributes are the rear garden aspect, designed and tended by Folium, and the quiet location in a cul-de-sac behind ‘old’ Pic du Jer, with pedestrian access through Knockrea Lawn to the Ballinlough Road by Our Lady of Lourdes girls’ NS. St Anthony’s boys NS is just the other direction, near Douglas nurseries park, swimming pool and playing fields.

This settled suburb — clearly catering for both ends of the age spectrum with both a creche and a Meals on Wheels service in its community centre — also has tennis courts, sports clubs, pitch-and-putt, scout hall, etc.

The Property Price Register shows a neighbouring No 5 Pic Du Jer Close making €260,00 in 2013, and earlier this year No 1 in the same Close made €370,000 via Tim Sullivan, having guided at €315,000. However, No 1 (which featured extensively here in September) had a major extension put on, with master en suite, and had 2,100 sq ft, with bigger gardens, so really was in a different size league.

The best price comparison for No 10 is probably another re-done, and not extended Ballinlough 1,100 sq ft semi-d at 7 Belmont. That one came to market in late January guiding €285,000, and is currently under offer above €290k after 50 viewings. No 10 Pic Du Jer close is going to follow in its busy-busy footsteps.

VERDICT: Don’t dilly dally.