Situated at the end of a meandering driveway about a mile from the village of Rathcoole is Ashwood, a substantial five-bedroom home extending to 327sq m (3,520sq ft).
The house was built in 2009, after its owners spent five years trying to get planning permission on a site they bought from family members, as one of them grew up on these lands surrounded by low-lying, rolling hills. “What planners wanted at the time was that our house wouldn’t look so big, so now it’s something of a Tardis,” explains the owner. Now downsizing, they have placed their home on the market with Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €995,000.
Space and light are the two standout features of this property, with the added bonus that it is in turnkey condition, so all new owners will have to do is unpack.
The house is set over two floors (with a plant room at basement level); the double-height front hallway is an indication of the generous space that lies within. Off the hallway, with its impressive American quarter-sawn oak flooring (which continues into the reception rooms), lies a study, a spacious livingroom and formal diningroom that opens to a large L-shaped kitchen and breakfast area. Here, a high-spec kitchen has a good selection of integrated appliances, including a coffee machine and warming drawer, plus a large range, quartz countertops and two fridge-freezer units.
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The kitchen also has an informal living space, warmed by a feature electric fire, and its southerly aspect floods the room with light. There’s also a large Indian sandstone patio off the kitchen for entertaining. A further patio catches the last of the evening sun. The gardens, designed by Ronan MacDiarmada & Associates, are laid out to maximise the path of the sun and views to the surrounding hills.
A formal livingroom has an open fire and is dual aspect, as is a formal diningroom overlooking the front garden.
Two of the five bedrooms lie at garden level, with three primary bedrooms lying off a spacious gallery landing upstairs.
The principal bedroom – as you would expect of a property of this calibre – is luxurious, more akin to a hotel suite. Extending to 52sq m, it is larger than your average one-bedroom apartment, has impressive solid oak herringbone parquet, a walk-in wardrobe and a spacious en suite.
Its Ber is B1, thanks to a combination of geothermal heating, solar panels, a heat-recovery system and double-glazed Aluclad windows and doors.
Other selling points include a central vacuum system, a sound system in the reception rooms and a private well.
Its 1.25-acre site will suit a family who want buckets of space for kids to run around and play, and there’s also a 10ft x 20ft insulated and electrified shed in addition to a lean-to for lawnmowers.
Although it feels like you’re miles from crowds, the substantial property is just a five-minute drive from the village of Rathcoole, with shops and schools, while its location beside the exit on the N7 means that you can be in Dublin Airport in 35 minutes, and in Dublin city centre in a similar time.
The owners love that they hear little more than birdsong from their home, which is next door to horse-riding stables and adjacent to Beech Park Golf Club.