Glounthaune home, for sale for €975,000, is on 'the best site' in Cois Chuain
10 Cois Chuain, Glounthaune
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Glounthaune, Cork |
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€975,000 |
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Size |
254 sq m (2734 sq ft) |
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Bedrooms |
4 |
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Bathrooms |
4 |
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BER |
B3 |
IF you wanted to pick the plummiest site in Cois Chuain, there’s a hell of a chance you’d head straight for this one. Why? It’s the biggest (0.7 of an acre); it has the best elevation (looks right down over Cork Harbour from the highest spot within the estate) and it’s arguably the most private (tucked up at the back).
If you were still undecided (why?) the venerable old oak in the back garden should do it for you. Who gets to sit in the shade of a majestic oak in a fairly young estate? The owners of No 10 Cois Chuain, that’s who.
A nod to their appreciation is contained in the house name: Oak Lea.
Those owners of this 2,734 sq ft home knew what they were doing when they bought off the plans from builder Martin Lane in the early noughties.
“We approached him looking for a site in Glounthaune. He said the one our house is on now was ‘the jewel in the crown in Cois Chuain’. It’s on more than two-thirds of an acre, looking straight down at the harbour.
“It’s the most private site in the estate and probably has the largest footprint,” the woman of the house says.
Martin went ahead and built their four-bed detached home, the first in this particular section of Cois Chuain, a development designed by Hogan Architects and done in stages, with different entrances off Dry Bridge hill/Ballynaroon. The section No 10 is in is set furthest back from the main road and is close to the local primary school, Scoil Náisiúnta an Chroí Naofa, Ballynaroon.
“It was the first house to be built and we were the first in and it was a terrific family home,” says the owner.
Sunshine levels and greenery are at a premium on the day the Irish Examiner visits, so it’s easy to appreciate why it would be good to live here. Standing out front, the view is of the inner harbour, and on down towards Fota Island. There’s a healthy selection of sitting-out areas around the house and because it’s a pretty private corner site, it doesn’t really matter which spot you choose. The elevation means the north-facing rear garden (tiered and with paved BBQ area) is as sunlit as the south-facing front.
The owners did a terrific job of landscaping when they first moved in and there’s a large patio at one side of the house and more seating amid attractive planting out front.
A copper water feature – a rill – runs right around the house and can be switched on or off at will, a balm at the end of a stressful day.
With busy lives, the owners are focused on taking the stress out, and having an interest in Feng shui, they had their home built to Feng shui standards, which is essentially about optimising your physical environment for the benefit of your health (the opposite to the stressing effect of poor design and clutter). Everything was positioned to promote peace and harmony, and that includes the water feature.
As Feng shui also recommends symmetry, the owners had the kitchen squared off, which made it bigger than some of the others in the estate.
As someone who knows very little about this ancient Chinese practice, it is nonetheless fair to say that No 10 did sort of radiate calm on the day we visited, helped by high natural light levels and an absence of clutter, and also by the expert eye of interior designer Sinéad McHale, who assisted the owners with a makeover in recent months.
In fact the owners brought Sinéad in after returning to Ireland following a decade of “globe-trotting” as the woman of the house is a global executive with pharma multinational Johnson & Johnson and has been based first in Switzerland and then the US.
“We came back last August and with the help of Sinéad, we refurbished the house. But we decided then in recent weeks that actually, it’s too big for us, as we are empty nesters, and that’s why we have put it on the market.
“We’ve loved the house, but we were rattling around in it and the time is right to downsize,” she adds.
Johnny O’Connor and Kevin Barry of Barry Auctioneers bring No 10 to market with a guide price of €975,000, which, if reached, will set a new record for the estate post-2010 (rumour is that some homes sold for over €1m in Celtic Tiger times. More recently near neighbour No 28, with attic converted, sold for €785,000).
The agents say the location is second to none, just above lovely Glounthaune village, close to the new Dunkettle to Carrigtwohill Greenway (with plans to expand to Midleton and eventually Youghal) and within minutes of that all-important commuter rail link to Cork City centre, which is six miles to the west. The rail line travels East to Cobh and to Midleton.
Glounthaune village has a hairdresser, beautician, post office and church, while the popular Rising Tide bar - put on the global map by Lady Gaga who dropped in for a couple of whiskies when playing the Marquee in 2009 - is also nearby. Secondary schools in the general area have a good reputation too.
As regards the house itself, the agents say the quality of the finish is exceptional and they point out that with a solid B3 energy rating, buyers will be entitled to apply for the more favourable green mortgage rates, which are available to homes from a B3 rating up.
The house itself is beautifully laid out, with a series of split levels, starting in the bright hallway. Double doors open off it into a bright and tasteful sitting room.
Beyond, to the rear, is the kitchen, with granite worktop and island and a breakfast bar and a top-of-the-range 5-ring De Dietrich double oven. A couple of steps lead up to the triple aspect dining room from where French doors lead to the side patio.
Then it’s down a few steps to a sunken living room with gorgeous estuarine views, which can also be enjoyed from the adjacent office/study, lined with built-in units.
There's a utility too at ground floor level, leading to the rear garden, and there's a guest WC in the hall.
Overhead, the main bedroom is bright and spacious, and comes with a generous ensuite and large walk-in wardrobe.
A second bedroom also comes with ensuite and all of the bedrooms are doubles. The agents point out that there’s scope to convert the 685 sq ft attic too, as neighbours have done, or to convert the 283 sq ft double garage (another home office/gym?). Outside is wired for a car charging point.
Given price and size, the agents are expecting interest from families looking to trade up, including relocators from overseas.
“The location is fantastic, ideal for anyone working in Little Island, and you don’t often get homes on 0.7 acres this close to the city,” Mr Barry says.
The N25 Cork/Waterford Road, Jack Lynch Tunnel, M8 Cork/Dublin road are all nearby.
A turnkey home that radiates positive energy. Site is terrific, location convenient. Ideal for an upsizing family.
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