One man's ceiling is another man's floor: Knockraha smart home with laminate floor ceiling for €285,000

The Belgian vendors are selling this Knockraha home along with most of its contents and high tech delights

Knockraha, Co Cork
€285,000
Size	111 sq m (1,195 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	3
BER	B2

That there are no light switches in No 9 Ard Abhainn is down to the fact that it’s a smart home — which is quite unexpected for a three-bed mid terrace estate house in the village of Knockraha.

“There’s smart technology to control the heating and the lighting, including the 60 inch long insert fire in the sitting room and mood lighting in the kitchen dining room,’’ reveals auctioneer Joe Organ who, quoting a guide of €285,000, says it’s probably the most high tech house he’s ever listed.

It’s owned by a Belgian couple who bought it new 15 years ago and made some significant changes to turn it into a high tech and ultra-contemporary home.

In addition to installing a home automation system, they also swapped standard white single glazed windows for Anthracite grey ones, and put in vertical grey radiators, white glass panelled internal doors at ground level, and sliding ones upstairs, and created a large contemporary open plan kitchen diner that’s both stylish and high tech.

“All the ceilings and some of the walls have laminate panelling, which means they never have to be painted “ says Mr Organ, explaining that the owners — one who works in IT and one as a carpenter — did a lot of the upgrading themselves.

Changes have included the fitting of a soundproof door to one of the bedrooms to turn it into a home office, as well as the conversion of the attic into a man cave/office/games room.

Having now decided to return to Belgium, the couple are selling their home complete with most of its contents — which includes a 65 inch wall mounted tv in the living area as well as a six seater corner sofa, a dining table and chairs, kitchen appliances, and some bedroom furniture.

Noting that the smart three bed home is stylishly decorated and has an upgraded B2 BER rating and, Mr Organ says this is a property with a wow factor.

The kitchen and living room are startlingly modern. The front living area is dominated by the huge tv screen, while the long insert fire and the mood lighting gives it a very 21st Century appearance. The thoroughly contemporary kitchen has stylish grey handleless units with a matching island, silver and grey mosaic tiled splash back, and a black sink and worktops.

The colour scheme in the room is mostly grey — which is used in the ceiling panels, the laminate flooring and on some of the walls — but the mood lighting which surrounds the TV and the kitchen units brings in vibrant colour.

There are neither curtains nor light switches in the kitchen diner but all the windows and the patio doors have venetian blinds, and there is also an electronically controlled blackout cinema blind on the front window to provide extra darkness for movie watching.

The ground floor also has a guest WC, while upstairs the owners have rearranged the layout slightly by taking out the hotpress to create extra bedroom space. At the front there’s a double bedroom with a modern tiled en suite, as well as a single bedroom which has a built-in desk as well as a sliding soundproof door with privacy glass.

To the rear another modern double bedroom, as well as a contemporary bathroom with a 6 ft long shower with sensor lighting.

A second staircase leads to the converted attic which, like every room in the house, has laminate panelling on the walls and floors and also has storage units. “It’s modern and maintenance free and has been used for gaming and watching TV and is a great space for chilling out,’’ says Mr Organ.

To the rear of the property there’s a garden with a lawn and beyond this there’s a parking area with two designated spaces.

Located within a short stroll from shops in Knockraha village, Ard Abhainn is located 8 km from Glanmire village and 14 km from Cork city centre.

Mr Organ says the mostly furnished high tech property is energy efficient and easy to maintain and could appeal to a young couple, a family or a downsizer.

VERDICT: A very smart home