Latest news with #ERADowneyMcCarthy
Irish Examiner
26-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Windfalls at Cork's Waterfall as second good 'un comes for sale guiding €875k
THIS sunny month of May has brought not just one Heatherfield Cork home for sale, but two: No 38 in this early to mid-2000s development came first, at the start of May, and is already 'sale agreed'; now, before the month closes, here's No 52 — a more 'original' version of the type. We're already back looking at this Waterfall scheme of 60+ detached homes, undertaken by Fleming Construction about 20 years or so back, and where the better examples have tipped over the €1m mark in recent times. No 31 made €1.05m just at the end of 2024, having guided at €850,000, and now No 38 is 'sale agreed', also over its €975,000 AMV, reported to have also gone into the €1m+ league for vendors who've been there for 23 years and are moving to the coast. 52 Heatherfield No 38 featured here over a few editorial pages in early May, and had been extended to the side for a very useful large laundry/utility/pantry (used for drying masses of sailing gear on the evidence of a visit), linking to an enlarged garage and workshop for a super-practical flow of service and family rooms, adding to the already decent floor plan of the original. Rear of 52 No 52, here today, shows what the original layout was from day-one, still fitting in a decent 230 sq m with five bedrooms — of which two are en suite and one, to the front, also has a dressing room. It's listed with a €875,000 AMV with estate agent Michael Downey, of ERA Downey McCarthy, who says it's impressive and on a good site. It faces a green, is well-sized both inside and out, and is very well kept, he adds. It's been a rental property rather than owner-occupied, and so the 'feel' is different to that of the well-lived in No 38, whilst its gardens have been well landscaped. It also has play areas and a garden room/sheds. The rear backs onto the very first stages of Fleming Construction's subsequent Waterfall development, Earls Well, with glimpses of one of the more unusual barn-roofed style and more contemporary one-offs there, likely to have been a former showhouse. No 52 has mature boundaries all around, good parking on a cobble lock drive and gated access, with rear patio off the family room, down steps from the kitchen/dining area in a slight split level layout. It has the typical Heatherfield large central hall, with main reception to the right, and has a smaller one/home office on the left, and all gets a good B3 BER. VERDICT: Guided at €875,000, No 52 is unlikely to reach the heights No 38 and No 31 did in topping €1m, but under-bidders on No 38 may bid on No 52 and make plans to spend a further sum later on add-ons and decor upgrades?
Irish Examiner
01-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
West-Acre for €950,000 could become a fore-ever home
As good as built all over again, and good as new, is West Acre, a very substantial, super-sized family home of 4,300 sq ft, on three acres, in Cork's Corran, Waterfall. A short haul out to the west from the city and suburbs, it comes complete with a putting green for golf fun and a stable block. The current owners bought here back in 2003, but what they bought isn't what you see now: what was possibly a 1980s era home was largely removed and replaced with a far larger five-bed home, with all of the current accommodation on the one level, all under a new roof, with little other than some of the original walls kept. Moving 20 years on, it's now downsize time for the family with two sons at the late teens/college going years, who've loved the freedom to roam, the pristine golf green to putt about on, and as one's now a car driver 'we'll even throw a pony into the sale,' the owners joke. West Acre is just listed this week with agent Sean McCarthy, of ERA Downey McCarthy, with a €950,000 AMV which is based not only on the demand for the area — always popular with affluent buyers in tech and medics due to proximity to CUH, the Bons and Marymount, as well as to third level colleges and Ballincollig — but also due to is scale and quality. The redesign was commissioned pretty much after the purchase 22 years ago, with the services of Kinsale-based architect Richard Rainey drafted in, and it more than doubled the original size, with a sort of staggered front to back geometric floor plan a bit like the letter Z, which allows for lots of windows, corners, and corner windows, as well as having a slight internal split level and lots of patios sections, with different aspects for various times of the day, and play. The main living and day rooms are at one end, off and around an L-shaped entry hall with overhead Veluxes, along with an extensively book-shelved study, gym with glazed external access door/bedrooms six, and plant room and with large kitchen/dining room with Siematic units, high end appliances, Britannia range cooker, Neff coffee maker, large white stone island plus fireplace. A walnut floored living room by the kitchen/diner shares a chimney with the kitchen for a back-to-back fireplace with stove and has patio access. A separate sitting room diagonally across the expansive hall has twin corner windows, either side of a large chimneypiece with open fire, and the owners say their home has always been a great party house, at Christmasses indoors, and outdoors in kinder weather and summer months. This home's rear section has three of its five/six bedrooms en suite, two with dressing rooms (depending on bed/gym usage) with the furthermost one also having a dressing room, and external access, making for an attractive main suite retreat. Overall condition, décor and presentation are excellent (underfloor heating, American walnut flooring etc) as befits a home with a price guide at this sort of 'just shy of €1m' level (see also following p10/11 Waterfall home feature,) and as good as the internal quality are the landscaped gardens and grounds, divided into various sections, with privacy, paths and circular drive inside stone entrance pillars, with electric access gates, CCTV and more. VERDICT: Waterfall's West Acre doubled up size and quality-wise back in 2004, overseen by an architect, and its owners' own tastes ensure it has stayed fresh and modern ever since, even down to the on-trend colour black on the external walls. There's even room (and stables) for a pony or two, but in case you haven't yet got to the pony, this Corran home is also on a bus route.....
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
First time buyers are flocking to the Lough to view €365k renovated home
MAUNDY Thursday launch for No 3 Westbourne Terrace didn't stop the bookings flooding in over the Easter weekend. By Tuesday last, 25 parties had their names down to view the two-storey property, which shares one of the nicest vistas in Cork city. Directly across the road from the Lough, a 4ha wildfowl preserve, there's every chance you'll spy a bevy of swans gliding by, or a coarse angler releasing his catch back into the freshwater lake. It's a fine spot too for the daily constitutional, on the c1km around-the-pond pathway. With such a terrific outdoor space on your doorstep, you'd cope without a back garden, but you don't need to. At No 3, it's surprisingly long, if narrow, and could easily accommodate a kitchen extension. There's not much going on there right now, but the return to our screens this week of RTÉ's Super Garden might provide inspiration for new owners. No 3, an 87sq m property, has a feature downstairs bay window with lovely views of the Lough and there are more views from two of the upstairs bedrooms. Additional accommodation includes a dining room, kitchen and bathroom. When it went up for sale three years ago, it reached sale agreed at €350,000,but was subsequently taken off the market. It's back now with Angela Jordan and Will Lyons of ERA Downey McCarthy and they are expecting bidding to commence 'as soon as people view it'. 'It's not often a property comes up that's right on the Lough,' Ms Jordan says, 'and this one is nicely presented and has a fine long back garden.' Those booked into view it are mainly first time buyers with mortgage approval, Ms Jordan says. There may be downsizer interest too as the property is very convenient to Cork city and is on a bus route. Investors can't be ruled out due to proixmity to UCC and CUH. VERDICT: House hunters are flocking to view this cityside property. A birdwatcher's paradise.
