Any household with mobility issues should check out this  €545,000 Ovens home

Lots of thoughtful and tasteful adaptations have made this lovely home and garden accessible for everyone 

Coach Road, Knockanemore

Ovens, Co Cork
€545,000
Size	182 sq m (1960 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	2
BER	B3

STAIRS are a no-go in a home where one of the occupants has mobility issues, so it was something of a blessing that the owners of this Ovens property bought a house that was on the level, even though they didn’t know at the time that they would have a child with significant additional needs.

The reason they bought the bungalow was because they loved the area (Coach Road, Knockanemore), but also because it came with one third of an acre, and the woman of the house is a mad-keen gardener.

Some higher power must have been guiding them, because adapting their home was made so much easier by virtue of it being a single-storey. And the site size meant they could extend.

“We bought the house when I was expecting and we moved in four days before our son was born,” the woman of the house says.

“Neither of us grew up in a bungalow. It was like we were sent here by our guardian angels. We didn’t know the journey that lay ahead for us, but ultimately, we were so grateful to be living here with our children and in a position to fully adapt the house around our family and our needs as we grew.” 

The first major adaptation work was in 2012. Creating a wet room with adjoining bedroom was a priority and in order to do this, they removed the ensuite from the main bedroom and shortened the hallway, which now leads to a very spacious bedroom with wall-to-wall wardrobes and lots of storage space. It opens directly into the wet room, with a hoist (which can be removed by new owners) running between the rooms.

Bedroom with hoist (can be removed) to wet room

Although both rooms are on the larger side, they were measured based on the option of having two carers on either side of the person to assist eg with showering and dressing.

A much bigger project was undertaken in 2017. It involved the family moving out for eight months while a significant build took place, by local man Danny Dwyer.

An old kitchen, utility, toilet and games room were jettisoned, and in their place emerged the home’s new heartbeat, a fantastic bright and airy kitchen/living/dining room, where getting about in a wheelchair was, well, child’s play.

A new front door with external wheelchair ramp was added to the rear too, angled “so that you can run in from the car if it’s raining”, the owner says, providing ease of access, unlike the original entrance at the front of the bungalow which wasn’t wide enough.

Insulation work was also undertaken, with external walls pumped, an upgrade to the heating system and new windows installed to the front of the house.

Before the house was remodelled, it wasn’t always possible to have their son in the same room because of access issues and this created additional difficulties, as he was prone to seizures. These challenges were eliminated in the new open plan living area.

“It worked so much better for us to be all in one space,” his mother says.

Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald, who is handling the sale of the house, says the open plan room “is a fantastic space with all of the practical elements it offers for a family”. She points out a number of highlights, including the recently fitted SMEG 5 gas ring cooker top, an island with a Belfast sink, attractive suspended copper lighting, and the warm, sealed, brick splashback.

The glazing is what makes it though: the floor to ceiling windows that join at right angles in one corner of the room, offering up full garden views; the double doors that open to a new limestone patio, the four overhead veluxes that draw so much light in.

The owner says the living space has morning to evening sunlight.

“Even in the winter, it’s a beautiful room to cook and dine in, or just to relax in front of the multifuel cassette stove,” she says.

She concedes the giant corner window was her husband’s idea, framing the garden, where the back of a large flower bed is lined with mature trees.

“The sound of the leaves on the breeze can be very soothing and evenings on the patio can be quite eventful for bird watchers. Bull finches and yellow finches are regulars, along with Mr Robin,” the owner says.

The patios were only added last year. One is used for outdoor dining and the other now sports a cute little potting shed, made by a family friend.

The house, more or less L-shaped, measures 182 sq m and has four bedrooms (one with a fireplace as it used to be the sitting room) and a solid B3 energy rating. It also has a pantry with lots of storage, a utility room and a cloakroom.

For those who like tinkering with cars, the double garage has a mechanic’s pit, and vast amounts of storage. There’s a fuel shed too.

The vendors, who are relocating, say it’s been a great family home and would be ideal for someone with mobility issues.

“We loved it and a family where someone is a wheelchair user would benefit greatly from it,” the owners say.

Ms Healy, who is guiding at €545,000, says it’s “a very desirable home, ideal for a family looking to upsize or for a first time buyer, looking for a turnkey property”.

The Ballincollig by-pass road is close by, and as the owners point, it meant Cork University Hospital could be accessed in no time. The house is just five minutes from Ballincollig and within a 15 minute drive of CUH, UCC and MTU. Also close by are the lovely Farran Forest Park, the Lee Valley Golf Club and Eire Óg GAA club.

VERDICT: A terrific home with lovely gardens that would suit any family, with the bonus that it can also cater for the additional challenges of disability.