You’d never guess the space hiding behind this Cork home’s front door

Clever redesign and major extension turn compact bungalow into bright, spacious home with strong indoor-outdoor living appeal

10 Manor Lane, Grange Manor, Ovens.

Ovens, Cork
€595,000
Size	197 sq m 2120 sq ft
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	B2

The question of how to transform a modest home into a premium property without changing location has been ably answered at No 10 Manor Lane where the current house is both much bigger and far more livable than the original.

When the current owner bought it in 2005, what was then a compact bungalow measured all of 500 sq ft. It’s more than four times the size now, although you’d be inclined to hedge your bets if asked to guess its dimensions from the roadside. 

Dormer windows set it apart from other, unaltered bungalows in the Ovens estate, but other than that, there’s no real inkling of just how spacious this home is.

No 10, on a corner site at the far end of a cul-de-sac in the Ruden Homes-built Grange Manor, has been in the current ownership since 2005 and was initially rented out, but reclaimed as a family home after the owner wed in 2011. With a baby on the way in 2012, the newlyweds decided to extend. Architect Tom Downes was drafted in for the design and the build was by John Guiney.

The expansion was both vertical and horizontal. Where previously the house was more or less one room deep either side of the front door, it now sits back into the site, where space to extend was plentiful, judging by the scale of what was added and the fact that there’s still a decent rear garden.

The kitchen was extended backwards and a couple of windows were added that overlook an attractive sitting out area to the side of the house. A new dining space was created, with patio doors. Beyond it, through double doors, is a surprisingly generous and well-lit living room, where sliding doors open to a limestone patio and where tall windows fill the back wall and frame the garden. Picture windows on side walls let in more light. Connectivity with the back garden is seamless and there’s a choice of sitting out areas. There’s a garden room too, added in 2020, with Tom Downes re-enlisted for the task.

”It was just at the start of covid, so it worked out well. The two of us operated out of it for two years, and we are still married!” laughs the owner.

Back indoors, there’s a family room to the front of the house, and an alcove around a guest loo – next to the utility - with some nifty bookshelves.

Four overhead bedrooms were also added. Clever design created an impressive main bedroom with a generous en suite with his-and-her sinks and a tucked-away dressing room. A long ribbon window overlooks the rear garden, where a good deal of thought went into the layout and planting, making it a very enjoyable space for outdoor entertainment. A garden shed provides storage.

Selling this smartly renovated home is Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald.

“It’s a really inviting and functional home for modern family life,” the agent says, adding that the aspect is a favourable south west, while there’s a generous green out front for kids to play on. The location is super she says, close to a 24-hour bus service, while Cuddihys Daybreak store is within walking distance. Cork city centre is a 20-minute drive, with less than half that time to get to the centre of Ballincollig.

VERDICT: Size is the big surprise at this cleverly renovated property. You have to see it to believe it. Well thought out garden adds to the quality living space.