Sunroom adds sparkle to €535k Watergrasshill home, a surefire family favourite

HOUSE building in Watergrasshill is nearly at the pace of its successful hurling team who won the All-Ireland intermediate club championship in January. From a village of around 250 people in 1996, its population is now around 2,000, as house hunters look beyond the city limits for homes they can afford. The commute is not a deal-breaker for those who work in the city centre. The M8 motorway, accessed off a roundabout close to the village, will get you to Dunkettle interchange in less than 15 minutes.

For Micheál Crowley whose hybrid working life is divided between home and the city, it was a good location. It was a handy commute too for his wife Anne-Marie, who could make it to her Little Island workplace in about 10 minutes. As Anne-Marie is a Tipperary woman and Micheál is from Newcestown, near Bandon, Watergrasshill was a good compromise – about halfway between the two places.

The two bought a new build, No 2 Church View Gardens, in Watergrasshill in 2015, built by Ventura Homes Ltd, in a joint venture with private developer David Hogan, who is also behind the more recent nearby 58-unit scheme called The Orchard. What both schemes have in common is an excellent 'A' energy rating. No 2 Church View Gardens is rated A3 and Micheál says “you don’t need the heating on for six months of the year”.

When the houses were being built in 2015, the couple decided they’d like a sunroom and the developer obliged.

“I think he liked the look, because he added a sunroom to most of the detached homes in the estate,” Micheál says.

The sunroom was a very good call. It juts out from the open plan kitchen/dining room, and as its glazed on all sides, the light levels are mighty.

“We have three kids – Saoirse, Alannah and Chloe – and I would say we spend 90% of our time in the open-plan area,” says their dad. French doors open into the south-facing rear garden, where Micheál applied the knowiedge he picked up as a youngster during summers spent landscaping to build an attractive, circular patio.

“The sun comes onto the patio around midday and stays all day,” says Micheál.

It's a fine size garden for a generous home (179 sq m), where accommodation also includes a front-facing living room that overlooks a large green.

The kitchen, from Cronins in Killeagh, is a stylish high gloss white with quartz worktops and splashback. 

A large island has integrated storage.

In a youngish estate of just 19 homes, largely lived in by families, the Crowleys are only moving to be closer to family – in Newcestown.

“I’ve been chipping away at Anne-Marie for years and as I’ve a site back home, we’re building a house,” he says.

Garry O’Donnell of ERA Downey McCarthy is handling the sale of No 2 and his guide price is €535,000.

“I think it’s really good value for a four-bed detached, if you consider that it's A-rated and has the square footage and the south-facing aspect. It’s better value than some three bed semis in Glanmire,” Mr O’Donnell says.

Interest is strong, mainly from owner/occupier families looking to trade up from Carrigtwohll/Watergrasshil/Glanmire. The estate is within a short walk of local schools, bar, restaurants, bus services, and sports clubs.

VERDICT: A smartly-presented, roomy, family home near the M8. Very commutable location.