Granny flat and permission for a bungalow part of the package at €670k Kerry Pike home 

 LEARNING, laughter and regular adventures were par for the course at this Kerry Pike home where owner, Saura Murphy, ran a Montessori school for 20 years.

“I loved every minute of it,” Saura says. It closed when covid hit, but for Saura the closure wasn’t as traumatic as you might imagine. With grandchildren of her own, she’d been toying with retiring, so covid simply pushed the button for her. At any rate her elderly mum was moving in and turning the Montessori school into a granny flat was a priority. Adjoining the house, but with a separate entrance, it was ideal accommodation for her mother.

Having a ready-made granny flat will appeal to house hunters whose needs are intergenerational.

 It comes with open plan kitchen/dining and living, as well as a double bedroom and bathroom with walk-in shower. Reduced mobility is catered for. It may also appeal to a buyer interested in restarting the Montessori school. Kerry Pike has grown exponentially in recent years and it seems likely that there’s a strong market for childcare.

There are further options with this four-bed house in Coolymurraghue, which sits on 0.72 acres. It comes with full planning permission for a two-bed bungalow in the back garden. As it’s a large site – perhaps too large for more part-time gardeners? - it could be a good option for families with kids who can’t afford to go to the market for a home.

Saura says herself and husband Willy had been considering downsizing to the back garden bungalow, while another family member would move into the main house. However there’s a change of plan now and the couple is planning to relocate to the east coast to be closer to family. The upshot is their family home of 38 years is now on the market, offering house hunters plenty to think about.

The house itself is in a quiet cul-de-sac of about half a dozen homes, midway between Blarney and Tower (five minute drive) and much the same distance from Cloghroe. The garden is beautifully landscaped – mainly thanks to Willy - “I just picked out the flowers and he planted them,” Saura says.

 A striking feature is the large rock that forms a backdrop to their favoured sitting-out area, up steps, off the kitchen/dining room, facing south.

Indoors, there’s a good choice of rooms: Family room, sitting room, shower room, utility. 

There’s also a playroom which used to be a fourth bedroom when Saura was rearing her own three children.

“I love the playroom, it was my treat to myself when the Montessori closed, something for me and my grandchildren,” Saura says.

Selling this 236 sq m detached home is Tirza Hourihane of Sherry FitzGerald and she says there’s lots on offer.

“What with the house, the granny flat and planning consent for a second house, there’s huge potential and it gives buyers plenty to think about,” Ms Hourihane says.

She adds that it’s a very private site and that Ballincollig is just a 10 minute drive away.

VERDICT: Trio of options for the price of one?