A newly-built house with a high spec finish in Co Wexford will have Dublin househunters planning to commute, writes Orna Mulcahy, Property Editor
A modern country house with a delightful French-style interior and 2.6 acres of grounds near Wexford town will seem like good value to Dublin househunters faced with runaway prices in the capital.
With large detached houses in the Dublin suburbs being snapped up by wealthy buyers and by housebuilders intent on development, the choice for many families is either to compromise on space or commute.
Two hours away, within easy reach of Rosslare Strand, Rathholm, in the village of Killinick, is a large four-bedroom house that has been finished to an exceptionally high spec. It's on the market through Corish Property Partners at €875,00 - less than the price of a Ranelagh redbrick. The house is set back from a quiet country road, surrounded by newly landscaped gardens that include over 1,500 trees and a lavender walk.
Owners, Glenna Lynch - an interior decorator whose shop, Mimosa in Dún Laoghaire, specialises in a mix of French and New England style furniture - and her husband, Michael, designed the house themselves and had it built in a year.
Before that, Glenna spent a lot of time on the site - a field - noting exactly where the sun fell at different times of the day. She wanted a house that would be filled with light all day with easy access to the garden on summer days. She was fully involved in the project, sourcing many of the materials herself, including the taller than average timber sash windows, the wide plank oak flooring that's used throughout, the antique-style bathroom fittings and the cream marble worktops for the airy, country-style kitchen. Inspiration came from "thousands of interiors magazines", while much of the furniture comes from France, as well as from workshops in Dublin which supply Mimosa.
It's a substantial two-storey house with over 288sq m (3,100sq ft) of living space and four bedrooms. The attic level has a large family room and separate playroom with extensive storage.
The ground floor layout is centred on a generous light-filled hallway with the drawingroom on one side, and a superb kitchen diningroom on the other. The drawingroom's three windows allow lots of light into the big, high ceilinged room, while the kitchen leads directly into a terrific garden room with a high vaulted ceiling that catches the sun right through the day. A dining area is warmed by a Jotul wood-burning stove. A utility room, study and cloakroom completes the downstairs.
Upstairs, the four bedrooms lead off an exceptionally bright and spacious landing, along with a big family bathroom complete with free-standing bath. The main bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and a luxurious en suite. With a new shop about to open, the Lynches are reluctantly moving back to Dublin, where they hope to take on a new building project as soon as possible.
