Engineering with a twist in Glanmire, Cork

Tommy Barker encounters a house with bright features to enlighten the viewer.

Dunkathel Glanmire €400,000

Sq m 234 (2,500 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 2

BER: C2

Professional engineering runs in generations of the family that has lived at The Orchard, a very-well built bungalow out at Cork’s Kilcoolishal, near Glanmire: the extra good news is that design flair is in evidence here too.

Newly up for sale for its downsizing owners, this is a large, L-shaped four-bed bungalow, on an immaculate half-acre site, seemingly with a continental design twist, an impression fostered by things like tiled and timber floors pretty much throughout, with just one of the bedrooms having carpet, and the arch-linked living/dining room is also freshly carpeted.

It’s all-white, light and bright inside, due in the main to several floor-to-ceiling windows and window bays: pricing it at €400,000, estate agent Dominic Daly says “The Orchard is, simply, a gem.”

With about 2,500sq ft, all on the one level, it relates particularly well to its half-acre site, set in behind stone walls and entrance gates and has several protruding sections or wings front and back, to create visual interest and views. Mr Daly describes the setting (it’s just east of the M8 a few minutes from Glanmire village, with farm field behind) as both tranquil and convenient, and says the 40-yearhouse has been immaculately kept and updated.

Lots of internal joinery is in varnished hardwood such as teak, yet it doesn’t come across as dark, and rooms include a hall, 18’ by 13’ living room with sliding door access to the front patio, next is a dining room with access to a conservatory with side patio, then there’s a breakfast bar/ casual dining by the kitchen which has oak units.

Next to it is a lounge with tiled floor, wood-burning stove and part parana pine-tiled chimney breast, plus there’s a second conservatory off here too.

There’s a utility, main bathroom, four bedrooms all with built-ins and one is en suite, and bathrooms have bidets and power showers.

The grounds have a stream at the eastern boundary, and for gardeners and storage there are two greenhouses, a play house, an open doubler garage and a single more traditional garage.

VERDICT : Regular upgrades by its engineer owner mean little more to do.