Annaville at The Lough ticks all the boxes

Tommy Barker is impressed with Annaville at the Lough in Cork. 

The Lough, Cork City €475,000

Sq m 158 (1,700 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 3

Bathrooms: 3

BER: Pending

TWO boisterous boys who want acres of garden to kick a ball around are prompting a young family’s decision to move from the convenience of a life by Cork city’s Lough.

The family that bought Annaville, a modern build on the Lough Road, only moved to the settled setting by the wildfowl sanctuary three years ago.

They set about extending it slightly, and upgraded the kitchen, heating boiler and other items, reckoning they’d be there for years to come, says auctioneer Michael Downey.

However, even three short years and persuasive arguments from two football-mad sons in favour rolling lawns on the domestic front, mean they are prepared to cave in for quiet life... or even the hope of sports scholarships to justify their faith in football?

In any case, they are forswearing a handy family life near UCC, shops, Cork city centre, and the wonders of the Lough, home to geese, swans, ducks and a host of other feathered and floating friends most fowl.

Annavilla was bought by its current owners in mid-2012, and shows up on the Price Register at an even €400,000, but since then it has benefited from a further spending of €60,000 or more, reckons agent Michael Downey of ERA Downey McCarthy, who now guides in a much recovered market (up 20% at least since) at €475,000.

It has about 1,700 sq ft in all, with the very best of it at ground level, where there are four reception rooms, including the significantly upgraded 25’ by 18’ kitchen/dining/living room, with new glazing system with sliding/folding window systems, and chic, grey hand-painted kitchen units.

This space opens readily to the private rear garden, all easy-keep maintenance and shrubbed and landscaped, tiered and tidy.There’s enough space for a slide — but not a sliding tackle.

“It’s ideal for a couple, professionals or traders down, or people looking to move to the city from the country,” reckons Mr Downey.

The previous owner was an older man who’d returned from the UK to Cork, and before that it was built for a retired couple who’d lived nearby and who built here from scratch, after removing an older dwelling.

“It’s stunning now, modernised with the input of an architect, ” says Mr Downey.

The BER is being done as it comes to market, but is expected to have improved thanks to the quality of the new windows, new boiler and other upgrades, he adds.

Set back off the Lough Road with off-street parking, it’s a quite large and asymmetric dormer, almost 1,700 sq ft, with brick and slate facade, and has central hall and two front-facing reception rooms, one a living room with bay window and a stone-strip faced chimney breast with insert stove.

Across the hall is a study or optional fourth bedroom, with bay window and fireplace with gas insert fire.

Scene stealer is the rear kitchen/dining room, with marble floor, window seat, southerly aspect, part vaulted ceilings and overhead skylight and garden access via sliding patio doors.

Off is a utility room, as well as a playroom/TV room, via further sliding doors. And, there’s also a guest WC.

Overhead are three bedrooms one of which is en suite, with a Jacuzzi corner bath. A fourth first floor bedroom could be created over the recently-added dining room and this was allowed for in the design and construction of this extension says Mr Downey.

VERDICT: The best of Lough stock.