Swan around in Cork Lough home luxury: €495k Earlwood home is set to fly

WITHIN a waddle of Cork’s wildfowl sanctuary the Lough, as well as within a walk of UCC, the Bon Secours and even the CUH, the extended semi-d at 91 Earlwood Estate could be a holiday gift for a range of buyers.

“It’s probably the best finished home I’ve seen in years,” says estate agent Anthony O’Regan of Keane Mahony Smith, saying what he’s selling at year’s close – and which will be gone very early in the New Year – is nothing like what he sold back well over ten years ago.

Back then, he sold a standard fare, mid-1900s semi to a Cork business family who wanted a home for an elderly parent to trade down to.

Initially, they took their time with the project, then picked up the pace, which eventually included insulation upgrades to a pretty impressive B1 standard, new wiring, plumbing, floors, windows, external and internal doors, kitchen, island, bathrooms, the works.

It got a single-storey ground floor extension, and slight add-on to the side so now there’s a slender (think garage-wide) room right of the hall, with an overhead bedroom.

The original portion left now has two en suite bedrooms on the first floor, with sliderobes, plus that third, narrower one with a low divide between bed and sliderobes, a touch which seems to work even in a small space; for those who need an occasional fourth bedroom, there’s the option to commandeer the room right of the hall on entry, past a vestibule/foyer/porch. Other options for that room could be a play room or home office, with pull-down bed.

So, while No 91 aka Cluain Mhuire is quite a big home at 1,800 sq ft (168 sq m) today, it’s most likely a better fit for a couple, a smaller family, traders down – again – or better-heeled first-time buyers: it’s also getting immediate attention from medics relocating to Cork city from up country and from oversea.

“It’s been upgraded to perfection over the past seven years, with a contemporary feel, and people really love the open plan area to the back, in the extended kitchen/dining area” notes KMS’s Mr O’Regan, saying he had initially thought to offer it early in the new year or spring when the garden could have a bit of seasonal attention and colour: but, his vendors were happy to go now, when supply is limited in across the board, and demand’s still high.

In the event, those who’ve come in the first week of viewings are showing scant regard for now regarding the garden, or even the front garden, with its off-street parking and a raised flower/shrub bed by the porch.

Presumably they can see how little it would take to give it a splash of colour and a bit of flash, front and back, to match the interior finishes.

The fact it’s a walk-in job is, of course key for most who are already viewing, despite winter weather and the imminent Christmas festivities’ it’s a cert that many will imagine themselves serving their own Christmas dinner and guests, in this 27ft deep (8.41m) dining/family room, sidling up to a 20ftx11ft kitchen in an open plan arrangement linked by the island. The front room, meanwhile, is original sized, with fireplace removed.

The launch AMV was €475,000 but within the first few days bids had risen to €525,000, and KMS agents Anthony O’Regan and Nicole White feel there’s now a bit more momentum in the bidding process to play out, given the reaction to date.

The Price Register shows over 40 Earlwood resales in the past 15 years, but just two went over €400,000, with No 39 Earlwood making €435k, earlier in ’24.