Make a play for Ballincollig's roomy Heathfield for €765,000
AS any parent of young children knows, it’s a constant battle to shore up their clutter. Toys, art supplies, Lego, board games spread like a virus throughout the house.Open-plan living becomes less enjoyable for the adults in the room without a dedicated space for kids to play in.It’s one of the reasons young households are among the cohort of buyers looking at No 1 The Orchard, a detached home in Heathfield, a newish Murnane & O’Shea development, where Carrigrohane and Ballincollig overlap.“What we are seeing is young families upsizing, couples with small kids who are looking not so much for a fifth bedroom, as for that extra living space on the ground floor,” says selling agent Olivia Roycroft of O’Mahony Walsh auctioneers.Open plan livingAs well as the main open-plan living space — which includes kitchen, dining and family room — No 1 has a sitting room and a second room that could be a playroom/home office/study. The current owners used the family room off the kitchen as a playroom, where the fun could easily move outdoors to the south-facing patio/garden when the weather was good, but the option exists for a separate, dedicated play space.It’s a fine size property, just shy of 2,000 sq ft, and it comes with a best-in-class A2 energy rating, ergo, cheaper green mortgage rates and a well-insulated, comfortable home. Two bedrooms have en suites and the main bedroom also has a walk-in-wardrobe. Ms Roycroft says people living in Ballincollig are among those viewing No 1, which is already under offer above the €765,000 guide price.“It’s mainly people living in Ballincollig, but also people moving to the area from other commuter towns,” she says. There’s a creche in the estate, it’s near Gaelscoil Uí Ríordáin primary school and Ballincollig town centre is within walking distance.
VERDICT: Quality, spacious, energy-efficient home, designed for family life.
