High standards at Rochestown Rise

Tommy Barker views a large family home at a destination address.

Sat, 26 May, 2018 - 01:00

Tommy Barker views a large family home at a destination address.

Now heading into its 40s, but in robust good health internally and externally, is this large family home at 16 Rochestown Rise, also known as Kerala, after a state at the lower tip of India, and one of the country’s greenest and most visited tourist spots.

Built in 1977, Cork’s Kerala is all greened in too, thanks to much original landscaping and general, overall maturing of this upmarket niche estate of wide, detached and gable-fronted houses.

No 16 is fresh to market with estate agent Trish Stokes of Lisney Cork, who guides at €610,000, and she says it’s impressive, both in terms of size/accommodation, and overall condition.

It has just over 2,600 sq ft internally, and as a good balance, it’s on landscaped gardens of c one-third of an acre, with well-planted grounds in fine fettle: in fact, there’s even a ‘beard’ of climbing plants across the lower portion of its stone-faced facade. Other planting is in sections, with defined seating areas. and feel.

Kerala’s a broad, two-storey detached build, with a slight internal split level, and a main sitting room that’s 21’ by 17’, big enough even by today’s standards, and nearly revelatory when these homes launched back in the ’70s.

With glazed door access to the hall, it also has double aspect, a feature stone fireplace, and west- facing window with garden and water feature views, ceiling coving, and recessed lighting (converting one wide window to double doors, opening to a picturesque paved patio would be a nice alteration for No 16’s next owners?).

Also up to a modern spec is the provision of not just one, but two en-suite bathrooms, among the four first-floor double bedrooms, so the folks, and at least one ‘favoured’ child, (or, the dirtiest?), get private wash facilities.

The master bedroom has a four-piece suite, the upgraded and updated main family bathroom has a Jacuzzi bath, and this upstairs also holds a small sauna, while there’s eaves storage under a side roof slope.

Back at ground level, and apart from the decent-sized lounge, there’s also a more regular-sized lounge, a family room, and a playroom, or optional ground- floor bed five, as well as a utility, and guest WC, bringing the bathroom tally to four overall.

Kerala’s kitchen is about 17’ by 11’. It’s next to the utility, and has long-serving ORM timber kitchen units, lots of integrated appliances, and a tiled floor.

The setting’s attractive, and there are views down to the Douglas/Mahon estuary below and past Rochestown Rise’s Clarke’s Hill/Coach Hill access points, with services nearby in the more modern Mount Oval O’Flynn Construction development, as well as a local national school, and a range of sports amenities and walks to hand.

The Price Register shows about a dozen resales at Rochestown Rise since 2010, as it’s always a popular are settled trade-into setting.

But, to date, the highest recent prices paid are in the sub-€450,000 category, so No 16 is looking to set a a fresh benchmark, pitched as it is at over €600k.

VERDICT: All rise.

Rochestown, Cork