Carrigtwohill cottage is pristine and private

Laurie O’Flynn visits this Carrigtwohill cottage transformation by an enthusiastic engineer owner.

Ballyadam, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork Price: 235,000

Size: 1,000 sq ft

Beds: 2

Baths: 2

BER: C1

Best feature: Pristine, one of a kind home on a beautiful private site.

IT’S amazing what can happen to a property in the space of a few years.

The last time DNG Murphy Condon sold this cottage at Ballyadam near Carrigtwohill, Co Cork it was on an overgrown site and in need of serious restoration.

Fast forward six years and it is barely recognisable. At the end of 2009 the cottage was bought by chartered structural engineer Aaron Haynes, who literally turned it around to make a home for himself.

The influence of a professional in the business is obvious throughout the two-bedroom detached property with the quality of finish and a seamless flow between the traditional cottage and the modern extension to the rear, which has become the new ‘front’ of the house.

Designing, supervising and certifying extensions and new builds is his bread and butter with the family firm Haynes & Associates, so little wonder it turned out a success.

Work started by stripping the cottage back to just the four outer walls, digging up the floors and clearing the site of some of the trees to make room to extend.

The project was completed in about one year using direct labour, plenty of it provided by Mr Haynes himself at weekends.

The clever thing about Ballyadam is that from the road it still looks like a cottage, but the front door has been moved to the rear extension and a new entrance was created off the road.

As a result, anyone coming to the house now has to travel the long tree-lined driveway at the end of which they come to what looks like just a contemporary property. Depending on where you stand, it looks like two different houses.

Inside, just the deep windowsills in the original part of the house give any clue to the fact that part of it is over 100 years old.

The extension to the new front of the property has the main living/dining area which is bright and airy with double height ceilings and one wall almost all in glass, including double patio doors to the outside elevated decking area. All windows and doors are solid wood.

Just a few steps above the living area, but still in the same space and with the same solid beech flooring is the high gloss fitted kitchen with birch countertops and an integrated fridge.

There is recessed lighting throughout the house, adding to the “architect designed” feel of the property.

Down the hall are two good sized bedrooms, one en suite, and the main bathroom, which has a limestone tiled floor and glass sink unit. Both bathrooms have extra wide showers, but there is no bath.

Outside is a raised patio/deck area overlooking the extensive gardens. It gets plenty of sun during the day. The house stands on a large, level 1.3 acre site with a gated entrance.

When Aaron Haynes bought it, the land was overgrown with trees and a lot of clearing had to take place to make some room for lawns etc.

Many of the original trees still stand though, particularly along the northern boundary where they don’t impinge on the light. They include sycamore, holly, apple and pine. Besides the house, a detached garage with an electric roller door was also built.

The house and grounds at Ballyadam have certainly been transformed and are attracting a lot of attention from prospective buyers, according to the selling agents, who hope to achieve a figure close to the €235,000 asking price.

They describe the restoration of the cottage as a labour of love, but now that love affair has to end as the owner moves on to greener pastures leaving an impressive home for a new owner to enjoy.

Verdict: A chartered structural engineer isn’t going to cut corners when it comes to designing and building their own trophy home. This is a prime example of clever design and good workmanship.