See for yourself. Bask in its reflective ambience of these mirror houses with an overnight stay on the shores of Lough Neagh.
On the eastern shore of Lough Neagh, Ireland’s largest freshwater lake, is a pair of mirror houses that look like a mirage.
Just a couple of miles from Belfast International Airport, on a working farm, is a new hospitality venture that elevates glamping to the next level.
You can check in and check yourself out in the enormous, mirrored walls.
"It’s a highly Instagrammable product," says Daniel Fenselow, head of partnerships at OOD House.
Its business model is to partner with those in the wellness, hospitality, or agricultural sectors to deliver a new revenue stream to the relevant business.
If you own land in a beauty spot, and ideally have a ruin with services already in situ on the site, this could be a sleek side hustle. It requires serious investment.
For those looking to add value to their existing business, there’s a profit share arrangement.
OOD retains ownership of the houses. The landowner retains possession of the land. After paying the set-up fees, the profit share is on a 70 per cent to the landowner and 30 per cent to OOD basis.
Lough Neagh Mirror Houses is run by husband and wife Andrew and Chloe Patterson.
The short-stay homes can be booked for as little as one night and offer sauna and hot tub privileges in addition to scenic views across the lough.
It is a beautiful spot from which to watch the sun go down.
The couple met in Shropshire. Both worked in the dairy farm business, Chloe in marketing, while Andrew is a breeding consultant for bovine genetics.
They’ve been together for 11 years, and it was on her maiden trip to the Co Antrim farm that she first thought, "Wouldn’t it be nice to do some sort of glamping here?"
They moved back to the homestead about two years ago and looked into options, from shepherd’s huts to cabins.
To be successful, you have to have something different. Andrew came across mirror houses on Pinterest and found OOD Houses.
You need to factor in the shipping and transport costs, the money needed to get planning permission to install the physical houses, and to install all the requisite services, from water and waste services to electricity.
All of these have to be piped in underground. You also have to factor in the building costs, the foundations needed to put the house on.
Access to the site may also ramp up costs. Their houses were delivered to the farmyard, but they then had to pay for hardcore to be laid to build a physical road to the site to crane the properties into position.
They used the hardcore to create a car park for the venture.
“It is a massive initial investment,” she says, costing in the region of €40,000 to €60,000 per property to ready it for the delivery of the property.
By the time you factor in furniture, furnishings, and finishing the site, she says the investment in the two properties and their surrounding landscaping and facilities will cost about €200,000.
She likens the offer to the kind of luxury retreat you might enjoy at a spa, minus having to share the facilities. Aimed at couples, each of the two houses has its own private hot tub. There is a shared sauna also on site.
“It is really luxurious, “she says.
There’s electric underfloor heating, air conditioning to warm or cool, as well as a very stylishly appointed interior that includes a kitchenette where you can cook, but really, who wants to do that on their holiday?
"Most people order delivery," according to Chloe. Or, you could book a table at The Rabbit Hotel at Templepatrick, which is a short 12-kilometer taxi ride.
A simple breakfast pack is offered to all visitors. It includes bread, butter, jam, milk, and granola, as well as treats such as crisps and chocolate.
Headquartered in Estonia, OOD has been in business for over a decade and has installed 600 houses in 33 countries.
The homes can also be bought for private use if you have the space. You might view a stay at Lough Neagh Mirror Homes as a way to try the concept before you buy.
“They are designed to be low impact,” says Fenselow.
Built on either screw piles or a rammed metal steel foundation that can be set on the ground or raised – one client has installed theirs five metres off the ground, up in a tree.
The units come in four sizes, which range in square meterage from 9 to about 40, and in price, from €19,900 to €84,900, excluding all the additional costs outlined above.
He advises interested parties to work with a local architect and contractor to ensure the site they're considering can be used from both planning and practical points.
Homeowners in counties Dublin and Galway have invested in the galvanised steel frame units, which have aluminium profiles as well as insulation in the floor, ceiling, and the back wall, typically where the bedhead is, and where most of the services are brought through.
To do as little harm to birds as possible UV stickers, visible to a bird's eye, can be added to the mirror glass, a type that is used in skyscraper construction.
The bought units come with a two-year warranty. In the partnership agreements, there is a warranty on the houses for the duration of the arrangement. OOD depreciates the houses over 40 years.
Either option starts with a video call to discuss, and a member of the OOD team will conduct a site visit before any agreement is entered into.
“The site needs to be accessible, and planning granted for construction and all services
At the Co Antrim site, the first of its kind on the island of Ireland, there’s a bar down the street, McKenna’s on Ballyginniff Road, but it doesn’t serve food. There’s an M&S food store, about a three-mile drive. It’s a similar distance to the airport.
An overnight stay Monday to Thursday costs Sterling £250. On Fridays and Sundays, the rate is £280. On Saturdays, the cost is £320. Lough Neagh Mirror homes can be booked directly through OOD or on the booking platform Airbnb. To find out more about partnering with OOD click here.
