Scaling new heights: €695k ‘Namche Bazaar’ in Cloghroe

The spectacular transformation of this 70s bungalow into a modern and welcoming home is peak interiors goals

Namche Bazaar, Bridgestown, Cloghroe, Cork

Cloghroe, Co Cork
€695,000
Size	290sq m (3,121sq ft)
Bedrooms	4
Bathrooms	3
BER	B1

This house is indeed on a sloping site... but the altitude isn’t the reason for the name. The Nepalese town of Namche Bazaar is where trekkers acclimatise for Everest climbs. And it’s where the current owners got engaged, so their Cloghroe home commemorates the happy occasion.

“We love the name and actually may well call our next home the same — we already had a previous house with the same name,” they laugh.

New owners will be delighted with the footslog of work undertaken here. This 1970s bungalow was fully extended and renovated in 2017 to more than double its original footprint resulting in a B1 energy rating for this two-storey, detached modern home with an EV charging point, underfloor heating, solar panels, and architecturally-designed interiors.

This particular Namche Bazaar is on a landscaped site of more than 0.6 acres and is within walking distance of Cloghroe National School, and a regular bus service: “It’s only a 10-minute walk to the shop and Cloghroe church and our three walked to school when they were younger.”

‘Hidden’ elements of the renovation include reroofing, insulation in walls and ceilings, rewiring, and replumbing.

More strikingly, there’s now a large kitchen with a Leisure Cookmaster oven with a five-ring hob.

There’s underfloor heating with individual room thermostatic controls and the dining area can easily take a six-eight seater table and there are double doors leading to the decking and back garden. A sail shade and overhead heaters mean this space can be used year-round.

The owners say that while the kitchen and outdoor space is the favourite spot during the summer, the sitting room with its Aga wood-burning stove is the go-to zone for cosy evenings in the winter.

There’s a perfect balance of rural tranquility and accessibility, said Jeremy Murphy of Jeremy Murphy & Associates: “Muskerry Golf Club is less than 1km away, while Ballyanly Sports Complex is just a 10-minute drive and is home to Inniscarra GAA and Muskerry Rugby Club. You’re 15 minutes from Cork City and just 10 minutes from both Ballincollig and Blarney.”

Outside there’s a winning combo of mature planting and plenty parking — with room for goal posts and a kickabout on the lower lawn.

VERDICT: A top location and an attractive layout, surely there will be an avalanche of offers.