Extension with wrap-around deck transforms €595,000 Whitegate home

IT’S hard to build a ‘forever’ home when the future looks foggy at the best of times. The wise approach is to stay open to the notion of re-dreaming your dream home.

Take this family-friendly dormer in Ballyvaloon, near Whitegate. Designed by Midleton-based architect Michael Cummins in 2001, he would have been guided by his clients’ requirements, and the upshot was a classic four-bedroom, three-bathroom, smart-looking dormer with two reception rooms, a decent kitchen and a utility.

Ten years later and having come to grips with the pros and cons of the house and site, the householders went back to Michael Cummins with a view to doing an extension. This time, the focus was on open-plan living, greater connectivity to the outdoors and a more favourable orientation.

What was added was transformative. 

Built at a right angle to the original house and liberally glazed, the new wing faces south, fronted by a wrap-around composite deck, accessible via French doors off both the main open-plan family room and also off a fifth bedroom, which is currently in use as a gym. With a bathroom off it, the gym can easily be restored to an en suite bedroom.

The family room is the star attraction at this 255 sq m home: warm wooden beams underpin a vaulted ceiling; light streams through a large apex window; French doors open to a front patio area and to the deck.

 Delightful during summertime, it can be cosified in an instant thanks to underfloor heating and a wood-burning stove.

Windows in the extension are triple-glazed. Solar panels provide constant hot water.

Selling this family home is Adrianna Hegarty of Hegarty Properties and she says it’s a “thoughtfully designed home, finished to an exemplary standard”. She adds that the B2 energy rating makes buyers eligible for green mortgage rates.

“It’s a nice neighbourhood, rural, but not isolated, just a 15 minute walk from beautiful Inch Beach (below, left),” Ms Hegarty says.

The site itself has a lot to offer in terms of outdoor space. Spread over half an acre, there’s a generous array of trees and shrubs.

 A large driveway out front is bounded by expert landscaping and the same can be said of a huge lawn to the rear.

 Raised planters are a feature of the decking area. Wall mounted outdoor heaters and lighting accommodate nighttime entertainment. There’s an electric car charger for good measure.

The agent says the dormer is a good option for families who want to live in the area, but are unlikely to get planning permission to build their own home. Schools are reasonably convenient: it’s on the school bus route to Aghada national school, while the villages of Aghada/Rostellan/Whitegate are just a five minute drive. Midleton town is 15 minutes by car.

The guide price is €595,000.

VERDICT: A well thought-out extension taps into the best of what this site has to offer. Ready-to-go family home with lots of outdoor space.