New homes: Another side of Albany

Walk-in wardrobes, American white oak staircases with recessed stairlights, cedar benches in small patio gardens – a new homes development in Killiney has some pretty smart standard features. And buyers will be able to see just what they're getting when 15 new homes are launched tomorrow because they have all been built already by housebuilder Cairn Homes.

Albany is a development of 15 tall four- and five-bedroom houses on Killiney Hill Road, just below the junction with Military Road, built in the grounds of a former period house, Albany House. The original house is currently being refurbished as a number of townhouses to be sold in phase two of the scheme. (Albany is not to be confused with another small, recently-launched development, Albany Lodge, on Shanganagh Road, parallel to Killiney Hill Road.)

The 198sq m (2,131sq ft) semi-detached three-storey four-beds will cost from €895,000 and the 231sq m (2,486sq ft) detached five- beds, laid out over four floors, will cost from €1.075 million. They are being sold by agents Kelly Walsh and Sherry FitzGerald New Homes.

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Interesting features

Many of the interesting features in the four-bed showhome come as standard. The livingroom, for example, has a coffered ceiling with concealed lighting and a McNally oak kitchen with Neff appliances, Silestone quartz island unit and countertop and natural glazed floor tiles, all standard.

The livingroom at the front of the showhome (with a smart herringbone parquet oak floor, not standard) opens through recessed sliding doors into the open-plan kitchen, diningroom and family room. Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors open onto a back patio bordered by shrubbery. There’s also a utility room, wood-panelled toilet and understairs storage.

The American white oak staircase leads to the first floor, where there are two double bedrooms and fully-tiled family bathroom. A smallish double with a wall of fitted wardrobes (standard except in bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes) at the back of the house looks over the original Albany House. The main bedroom at the front has sliding doors onto a small balcony looking over Killiney Hill Road, a walk-in wardrobe and a large fully-tiled en suite with a “drench” shower head.

Up another steep flight of stairs, there are two more double bedrooms – one en suite – on the second floor and a small under-eaves study or playroom with a Velux window.

There are some partial views of sea and mountains from some of the four-bed houses, but better views from the third floor at the top of a five-bed house that’s currently the sales office: the under-eaves main bedroom has two long Velux windows from which there are sea views on the left, mountain views on the right.

A3 energy rating

The four-bed semis and five- bed detached houses are similar in design, the main difference being a livingroom separate from the kitchen/ diningroom/family room in the five-beds, and the extra third floor in the five-bed. The interiors were designed by Optimise Design, run by RTÉ's Design Doctors presenters Catherine Crowe and Irish Times Property columnist Denise O'Connor.

Albany’s homes have an A3 energy rating, underfloor heating and an energy efficient air-to-water heat pump system. Outside, there is room to park two cars in the cobblelocked front drive.