First time buyers and downsizers will vie for this €380,000 coastal 4-bed 

This Whitegate home has some nice design quirks

New Road, Whitegate

Whitegate, East Cork
€380,000
Size	149 sq m (1600 sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	Pending

NO trees were harmed in the building of this house which was angled on the site so as to avoid sacrificing any of the towering greenery around it.

It makes for a pretty setting for this attractive blue-hued, architect-designedhome on Whitegate’s New Road, where the queue to view is growing by the day.

Helped along by the guide price of €380,000, it’s attracting a slew of first-time buyers, who will find themselves competing against cash-in-hand downsizers.

Almost 30 potential buyers were booked in to take a look over two days this week and chances are, it will go well over the asking.

The house, a self-build which dates to 2011, isn’t your standard rectangular dormer – a dining room with lofted ceiling juts out from the gable wall and the entrance door is at right angles to the main building.

One of the standout features is the dining room area, where tall windows rise into the vaulted ceiling. As they face west, they benefit from the evening light. Double doors open to the outdoors from the dining area, which is open plan to the kitchen.

Also open to the kitchen is one of two large living rooms. A 20kw stove in this living room is connected to the back boiler, and that’s good news for those concerned about rising energy costs. 

The stove/boiler combo renders the oil-fired heating system largely redundant.

The house, built for a family, is a generous 1,600 sq ft, with four bedrooms, one of which is located on the ground floor, next door to a downstairs loo. If future proofing is a concern, it’s been considered here. The downstairs bedroom could come in handy too for buyers looking for an intergenerational option, or it may suit to put it to another use, such as a home office (there’s already a small home office, accessed via the landing). A second living room gives more latitude too.

So what else? Energy-conscious homeowners will be pleased to hear that solar panels heat the water. Those who like plenty of kitchen storage will be interested in the kitchen pantry. Men who like to tinker in sheds will gain not just one, but two sheds to tinker in, unless they decide that neither is required, and that a rear patio is a priority – opening up a glimpse of the water.

As the house is in Whitegate, the harbour is a big draw.

 Two minutes away is Whitegate village, along the waterfront, which has a Eurospar and more recently, a coffee dock, which is attracting rave reviews. Corkbeg Coffee, housed in a refurbished shipping container, is out on the pier with exquisite views. The food is rumoured to be pretty good too. It’s just a few minutes walk from New Road.

In nearby Lower Aghada, there are more dining options, at award-winning Rosie’s Bar and Restaurant, and you can stroll from there, along the 2km waterside People’s Path to Rostellan, and pick up some luxury chocolate at the local Rostellan chocolate factory.

As estate agent James Colbert of Colbert & Co points out, living in East Cork is as much about lifestyle as it is about affordability.

“Sports are a big part in this area with a fine selection to choose from. There’s Corkbeg soccer club, Aghada tennis club, local GAA pitches, Aghada Triathlon club, Whitegate Rowing and there is even a pitch and putt course nearby.

“In essence, there’s a fabulous lifestyle to be had here and that is added to by the nearby blue flag beaches,” he says.

The agent describes the New Road home as “a superb property”.

Outdoors includes a smallish “hidden” front garden, at a level lower than the house. Mr Colbert says the site has the bonus of great privacy.

VERDICT: Given the level of interest, a swift sale is likely, probably at well above the guide price.