Break out the bubbly for the buyers of upside down house in Crosshaven
Windward, Crosshaven
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Crosshaven, Cork |
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€695,000 |
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Size |
160 sq m (1722 sq ft) |
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Bedrooms |
3 |
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Bathrooms |
2 |
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BER |
C3 |
HOUSE moves are prompted by many different things: expanding families, relationship changes, financial difficulties, job requirements, ageing, downsizing, upsizing, lousy neighbours, overseas adventures, educational choices, animal husbandry.
A less-heard-of reason for uprooting would be to keep an eye on two yachts. If this sounds like the kind of champagne lifestyle many can only aspire to, the reality was probably more everyday. Ostensibly, the only champagne in the equation was one of the yachts, named Clicquot (a Frist 30) , after that famous French brand which is part of James Bond’s champagne history; has the seal of approval from the British Royal Family and is beloved of celebs like Nicole Kidman and Kendall Jenner.
Anyway. It was Clicquot – the yacht, not the bubbly – and a second yacht called Anna Christina (the owner's favourite, a Sun Magic 44), that brought the family who are now selling Windward to live there in the first place.
By shipping (sailing?) his family from Cork City to Crosshaven, to high up on Camden Road, the man of the house could achieve three key objectives: keep a close eye on the comings and goings at the Royal Crosshaven Yacht Club (RCYC), indulge his passion for sailing and above all, make sure no harm befell his beloved yachts.
They moved to Crosshaven in 1993, just about a decade after Windward was built by owners whose architect or builder was clearly in the vanguard when it came to knowing how to make the most of coastal homes.
Those original owners did in the ‘80s what is par for the course these days for those with the cash to capitalise on panoramic views.
They flipped the traditional upstairs/downstairs model, putting bedrooms downstairs and the main, open-plan living accommodation upstairs, running large sliding glass doors along the entire seaward-facing wall, so that the views over Crosshaven, the habour, the marina and the wooded, mounded headland of Currabinny are forever in your line of vision.
They didn’t stop there. They went out beyond the sliding glass wall and installed a sun deck, of about 18 sq m, and it need hardly be said that the whole open plan kitchen/dining/living/sundeck combo was just the best possible spot for entertaining, or enjoying those spectacular views or, keeping a beady eye on the comings and goings at the RCYC.
The family that moved into Windward in the 1990s included four children, and as it was a two-bed house at the time, they immediately did some extending, adding a third bedroom, which is behind the garage.
In fact the garage is ripe for conversion, should new owners want a fourth bedroom.
Windward, built by a builder of the name Twomey, who had also built a nearby housing estate, was “ahead of its time” says selling agent Lawrence Sweeney of Savills.
“It would have been very innovative in the ‘80s to take account of the sunshine and views when building a home, even though it’s something we take for granted now. There would have been a lot of wonderment, it was one of the first homes in Crosshaven to have an upside-down design,” he says.
Windward, a 160 sq m home, is bright and airy, with more light coming in via a ground floor conservatory off the master bedroom. The conservatory opens onto a rear patio.
It’s a home on a very generous site, close to one third of an acre, with scope for a new owner to expand, subject to planning permission.
It would be a pity though to eat into the superb back garden, the work largely of the woman of the house, whose selection of trees and shrubs and the manner in which they are laid out is highly professional.
There’s even a fishpond. When the mum wasn't gardening, she could relax on the deck and watch her beloved family sail in toward the RCYC.
Mr Sweeney says the garden “provides total seclusion, a relaxing green space for those who love gardening, nature, barbequing and entertaining". Out front, there are more trees and shrubs and a large gravel driveway for parking.
Viewings of Windward, where the guide price is €695,000, started on Thursday and interest is “huge”.
“We’re seeing quite a few Dubs, some of whom have connections with Crosshaven, who are trying to fulfill the dream of living by the coast, close to a major city,” Mr Sweeney says.
He expects local interest too and international (he recently sold Harbour View, up the road from Windward, to a Spanish couple).
US buyers are also likely. In recent times, Mr Sweeney has encountered house hunters from Texas, Florida and Colorado looking to relocate away from extreme climatic conditions, as well as Americans unhappy with lax gun laws in the US.
“They are looking for a different reality, and the exchange rate here is good,” Mr Sweeney says.
A few bottles of bubbly on the sunny side of Windward are in order for whoever bags this home.
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