Situated in the Hollywood hills of Co. Wicklow, this 120-square-metre modernist house is already beyond its €325k asking price and needs to be stripped back and completely upgraded. Set on two acres and surrounded by trees and woodland animals, it could be gorgeous.
Secreted in the forest is what could be the ultimate cabin in the woods. Surrounded by mature trees, it is so secluded a setting that you might miss it while hiking St Kevin’s Way.
Deer roam free here and may even peer in the window, but if you’re looking for splendid isolation within an hour of Dublin and want forest rather than sea, this is the place.
Address: Unique Hideaway on c. 2 Acres, Scalp, Hollywood, Co. Wicklow, W91 W3P0
Asking price: €325,000
Agent: JP&M Doyle
"The stargazing is also epic," says the owner’s daughter, who grew up here and recalls deer roaming around the house, likely also pilfering some of the produce her father once grew in his polytunnels.
Built into the ground on an elevated site on the Scalp, a rural townland outside Hollywood, it is set out over three distinct levels.
The two-bedroom, one-bathroom D BER-rated house was designed by its civil engineer owner in 1981.
“You don’t come across something like this very often,” says selling agent Deborah Kingsley of JP& M Doyle. ”It is a unique hideaway.”
This is a property that has good bones, but every single aspect of it needs renovation. Extending to 120 square metres, it has tinder-block construction that’s fashionably exposed on the interior but will likely need further insulation.
While the BER rating is a very acceptable D, there is no boiler in the house, and the entire heating system may need to be overhauled.
The green roof is not sedum but moss. Its felting will need complete redoing, and there may be water ingress that has affected the soffits.
It also needs rewiring and replumbing. An insulation upgrade should also be considered.
The house has an abundance of living space, a separate kitchen and two living rooms, set over two different levels. There are plenty of places for every member of the household to retreat to.
The chocolate bathroom suite is back in vogue but will need connection to water. And at the moment it has just two bedrooms, which may be on the low side. But the primary bedroom has another windowed room off it. An entrance from the hall could turn this into a third bedroom.
Adding to the existing number may require planning, something Deborah says is difficult in Wicklow but points out that you already have a structure.
There is no sugar-coating it. This is a home that needs everything done to it.
Despite these drawbacks, bidding is already well beyond its €320,000 asking price.
Some are looking at it as a holiday home; others are first-time buyers. “But it’s not going to be suitable for someone looking for an 80 per cent mortgage,” Deborah caveats, adding that it will need a couple of €100,000 to renovate it.
It could be fabulous. Imagine the opportunities for forest bathing, to live surrounded by nature and experience the season’s first-hand.
Builders and renovators can expect the deer to swing by on occasion to inspect progress, possibly peering in the windows.
The location is about three kilometres from Hollywood village, so you could technically head into the village for a few scoops and walk home. If there’s a designated driver, it’s just a journey time of five minutes.
Agents JP&M Doyle is seeking €325,000 for the house.
