Four-beds in Ballincollig's Fernwalk are in hot demand

With a scene-stealing extension and garden layout, Fernwalk has much to offer,

20 Fernwalk, Ballincollig

Ballincollig, Cork
€790,000
Size	176 sq m (1894 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	B3

FOR anyone looking to take the temperature on house prices at Fernwalk, a handy indicator would be on-the-market No 66, where bidding has surpassed €800,000.

A four-bed detached, it has a tasty rear extension and a very attractive garden, characteristics it shares with also-for-sale No 20, which features here. 

No 66, which has a 17 sq m advantage over No 20, also featured in these pages previously, as did No 46, the most recent Fernwalk sale to appear on the Property Price Register, which sold for a hefty chunk of change (€865,000).

The latter, a bigger prospect again than No 66, had an attic conversion and extension undertaken by Cork-based architect Donnchadh O’Sullivan who went on to work with celebrity architect Dermot Bannon. 

Of more than a dozen sales within the estate since 2014, just one sold for under €0.5m.

The common themes here are that these houses sell well, they tend to benefit from rear extensions and the selling agent in each of the three cases mentioned is Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald.

Fernwalk, in Greenfields, Ballincollig, on the upper-mid end of the market, is a development of detached homes dating back to the early 2000s, and the vendors of No 20 are its second set of owners. They put on the rear extension about a dozen years ago.

 They also did tremendous work in the garden. As Ms Healy points out, it’s been “meticulously landscaped”.

While it looks like the work of a professional garden designer, the man of the house did it all himself, Ms Healy says, as gardening is a passion.

An eye-catching design in the large paved front drive is surrounded by expertly planted beds with a huge array of fabulous trees and shrubs.

 Even more sophisticated landscaping is evident to the rear, with the garden divided into neat sections by different types of paving, subdivided by gravel paths and raised flower beds. 

There’s also a lovely water feature and a patio area off a large, tastefully done, detached, block built garage which has been split into two rooms, one which serves as a utility and the other as a home office, plumbed for a WC, should a new owner want to install a toilet in their (remote?) workplace.

Indoors, the rear extension is the scene stealer. It’s a terrifically lit space, thanks to three large skylights and glazing all along the rear wall overlooking that stunning garden. It’s an open plan area, with the kitchen under a lower ceiling at the rear, but with plenty of natural light coming through thanks to an “open window” between kitchen and dining area.

The dining and living areas get the full benefit of the skylights, the glazing, and a raised ceiling.

There are two downstairs rooms to the front of the property - a living room and a room that could be whatever you need it to be - playroom/home office/extra reception room. There’s also a utility/pantry and WC. Upstairs, all four bedrooms are doubles, and the main bedroom is ensuite with a walk-in wardrobe. The main bathroom has a jacuzzi bath.

With the current owners, a family, re-locating, Ms Healy expects No 20 will continue to be a family home.

“I expect a family to buy, 100%," she says, adding that "it’s very evident from the moment you enter the property that time and effort have been invested and no expense spared on upgrades.” 

A well-laid out, low density estate, Fernwalk is as near as can be to the Ballincollig bypass road network, taking you swiftly by car into Bishopstown, Wilton and Cork city. It’s also within walking distance of Ballincollig town centre and Ballincollig Regional Park.

VERDICT: A substantial family home with bonus points for a quality extension and professional-standard gardens.