Keys to the Kingdom at €650k developer's former home in Caherdaniel

Irish Examiner

2 days ago

HOUSING developers aren't known for living in modest homes. Given their stock-in-trade is putting roofs over people's heads, it wouldn't look great if their own properties were demonstrably shoddy. To build confidence in a product and in your own reputation, it's wise to make plain that you're happy to road test your own creation.
The woman who bought this Caherdaniel home in Co Kerry eight or so years took it as a good sign that a developer had built it and was also happy to spend his downtime in it.
'I believe he was a developer in Dublin who built it as his own holiday home,' she says, adding that 'he didn't skimp on anything'.
'It was built at the height of the Celtic Tiger, but it wasn't one of those homes that was thrown up. It's a very high-quality build,' the owner says.
As any developer worth his salt will tell you, location is everything, and the chap who picked his spot on the Iveragh Peninsula knew in his heart that it doesn't get much better. The holy trinity of mountains, coast and captivating views is hard to beat.
Coad, Caherdaniel
Moreover, the site had great privacy, in a cul-de-sac, just off the consistently busy, peerlessly scenic Ring of Kerry, and within a short drive of a handful of villages: Castlecove (c five mins), Caherdaniel (eight mins); Sneem (15 mins). Westcove Pier, ideal for swimming, is 15 minutes on foot.
Westcove Pier
The current owner of this home in the townland of Coad, Caherdaniel, Westcove, was well acquainted with the natural beauty of the landscape when she made the purchase.
'I bought in an area that I knew very well in my childhood and into my 20s. I grew up in London, but my mother was Irish and we always came here for our summer holidays.
'I bought the house very much as a holiday home, with lots of space for family and friends and for entertaining.
Open plan kitchen with views of Kenmare Bay
'There was lots of room for people to stay over and even a separate games' room for the kids. It's been perfect,' the owner says. She's used it as a permanent home these past few years and says the area is very nice off-season too.
'It's a great community, and it's not just people coming on holiday. There's lots to do, like books clubs and coffee mornings. I've been living here full-time but it's time now for a new family to enjoy it,' she says. If a family was to buy it as a permanent home, there's a national school in Caherdaniel village and a secondary school in Caherciveen.
At almost 2,700 sq ft, it's a fairly capacious home, laid out in a way that seaviews are on display from all the main daytime living accommodation and from two of the four upstairs bedrooms.
Open plan dining/living/kitchen
Selling agent Ron Krueger of Engel & Völkers says the main open-plan living area is a 'wonderful space, ideal for entertaining' — which it patently is.
Natural light floods through floor-to-ceiling windows which frame radiant Kenmare Bay.
Across the water is the beautiful Beara Peninsula, cleaved by the Caha Mountain range. Two sets of French doors lead to a terrace, which overlooks the lawn and down towards the bay. It's tailor-made for barbecues.
Mr Krueger says the location is 'a haven for outdoor enthusiasts'. Beaches abound and there are Blue Flags everywhere: O'Carrolls Cove; White Strand; renowned Derrynane. Closer to home, Westcove Pier has a modern slipway and safe moorings for boats of all sizes in a tranquil harbour. Fishing opportunities are rife along the coastline. The peninsula has a trio of golf courses, including Waterville links, which attracts a global elite. The Kerry Way hiking path passes a few hundred meters from the front door.
When you're done with all the activity, you can kick back in comfort, by the wood burning stove in the lounge area of the open plan space, or outside on the elevated terrace, or on the separate patio by the games room.
Games road
Lounge
If you're too tired to venture upstairs — where two of four bedrooms are en suite with walk-in wardrobes — you can use the downstairs bedroom (there's also a downstairs wet room) — which a new owner may put to another use, such as a study or home office.
The separate games room, on the opposite side of a feature arch in the grounds of the house (with storage on the other side), could also be adapted.
It has running water. A home gym or artist's studio are other possible uses.
As the Iveragh Peninsula is an internationally recognised beauty spot, favoured by visitors, the chances of this home going to an overseas buyer are high. Mr Krueger says they are expecting interest 'very much from within Ireland but also from overseas'.
'So far we've had both Irish interest and enquiries from the US, with showings due to start this week,' the agent says.
His guide price for the impressive property is €650,000.
Cork and Kerry airports are two hours and one-and-a-half hours away respectively, by car. Kenmare town is a 45-minute drive.
VERDICT: Location and setting will get pulses racing among buyers searching for the ultimate holiday bolthole. Overseas interest is a given because of where it is. The quality of the build will also appeal to those looking for a permanent home.