Rochestown home is a must see
Back when Cork’s Courtwood was being finished off in 2008, the Irish property market had started its price plummet, and its initial hopes of sale figures from €850,000 to over €1 million bit the dust.
Now, not only has the market picked itself up off the floor, with prices in Dublin and Cork cities and suburbs well into recovery mode after a 50% slump from peak since 2007, but in the interim, all roads leading to Courtwood seem to have improved too.
This scheme of 15-only big detached energy-efficient houses is up by Foxwood in Garryduff, Rochestown, accessible from either the top of Clarkes Hill, or Maryborough Hill. And, the stretch of road between those two access points, up to a mile in length, finally has been upgraded, widened and straightened out by Cork County Council, giving a very finished uplift to the hinterland: it’s now the sort of Foxrock Dublin look many of the residents felt they deserved....!
So, with a shiny new road in and out (and a new national school), and no more comparable new building around this affluent Rochestown hinterland by the Oldcourt estate and woodland, it seems Courtwood’s time has come for sales to finally be realised; they have been rented out in recent years by their private developers, since completion.
New to market this week are two Courtwood offers, Nos 8 and 15, examples of the no less than five design variations among only 15 homes in all, on 3.3 acres, and they’re the first to get re-offered for sale. Others are likely to follow suit over the next year or so, suggest agents Sherry FitzGerald who’ll have open viewings at these two Thursday next.
A former show house, No 15 (pic right) is a 2,716 sq ft four bed, with about 600 sq ft of that area up at attic level, in a proper, planning compliant fit-out and with loads of scope for different uses. It’s ‘open to offers’ at €610,000 furnished and with all contents included, as well as the garden chalet.
It’s joined for sale by No 8, a slightly larger home of 2,897 sq ft on a slightly smaller site, and No 8’s open to offers at €590,000 with SF auctioneers Sheila O’Flynn and Ann O’Mahony.
Design was by architect Derek O’Leary for private family developers who’ve rented and maintained the 15 houses since, and builders were Ridge Construction, who delivered here to a high standard.
Features include Liscannor stone facades along with permanent colour render, Scandinavian pine glazing with energy efficient glass, solar panels, underfloor heating at ground level, acoustically insulated floors and walls, oak joinery, central vacuum and a whole heap more.
There’s different floor layouts in these two house types, but in each main reception rooms interlink via double oak doors, with yet another similar oak-doored link to large kitchen/dining rooms. Two of the four beds in each are en suite, and sanitary ware is good too, and light flows down the main stair-wells (and into hall and landing) thanks to lots of glass.
Although contemporary-styled, these tall houses won’t date too rapidly, and landscaping is now bedded down too, while crowning glories are the very large (580 to 750 sq ft) attic rooms, left open plan for the moment, but with good head heights and sub-dividable with power, plumbing, and pots of storage in the eaves.
Now well-established, Courtwood is close to Garryduff Sport Centre and woodland Coillte walks, and buyers are expected to be traders up, and/or renters keen to buy now as the market regains confidence. Some might well emerge from the existing residents too (so open viewings will be busy Oct 2 at 5-6pm), now that they’ve settled into the location, and the Garryduff road outside has also settled in.
One of Rochestown’s smaller, better residential developments.
