Northern Ireland's Hollywood Hills: Millionaire pumps entire fortune into row of dream homes near Bangor

The four properties stand proud on the coast in 'Brompton Bay' just 10 minutes from Bangor town centre, yet a world away in terms of tranquillity.

Kevin has created a dream home for himself and wife Elaine alongside three other properties with the same sumptuous specification, one of which he has just put on the market for offers over £1.5million. For Kevin it is all about the fine detail inside each house, where only the very best materials have been used.

To achieve the ultimate specification he spent several years flying to grand design trade shows all over the world to get only the best of the best. Now living in one of the four properties, Kevin is proud of what he has achieved.

He says: "If they are lucky enough to still be here in a century, these are the houses which will be regarded as having broke the mould in 2020.

"I wanted to create a Hollywood hills feel to them and there really is nothing like them in terms of quality and luxury finishes in Northern Ireland.

"It isn't about money for me; it is about the value of what they offer in terms of lifestyle, health and happiness so nothing was bought on what it cost but because of the quality."

Kevin is a devoted family man who loves spending his money to give his loved ones a good quality of life.

Descended from a long line of butchers, his great-great grandfather Hugh McWhinney first set up shop in Comber in 1898.

It was Kevin's late dad Ken, who died when he was just 54 in a tragic accident, who then opened a second shop in the town called Ken McWhinney & Sons which became famous for its pork sausages.

Kevin went on to establish McWhinney's sausage manufacturing company in Bangor supplying to trade throughout the UK and Ireland.

Proud to have once been dubbed 'King of Irish sausages', the 55-year-old has never been afraid to spend what he earns on a good quality of life.

He married his childhood sweetheart Elaine (55) and they have one son Scott.

His extravagance saw him once deliberately park his beloved Ferrari in two spaces so that it wouldn't get scratched.

He also made headlines because of the grand standards of the first home he built in Lisburn which featured a supercar garage, a spa, an indoor heated swimming pool, cinema, games room and cocktail bar.

Living well is a lesson he admits he learned the hard way when he lost his father in a flying accident at the age of 27.

He says: "I have a few friends who had plenty of money but were always too scared to spend it and so they saved it all up and passed away and left it behind.

"I learned a hard life lesson when I was 27 and lost my father who was 54. I am 55 and have now surpassed the age my father lived.

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and say 'if only I had done that'. I believe you should go for it and for me that is wanting my family to have a beautiful home."

The dream for his new home started 10 years ago with a long search for the perfect site which he bought in 2015 on Brompton Road in Bangor.

Since then he has worked alongside architect Robert Gilmore to craft homes that are not only luxurious but completely unique. Each house has been designed with cantilevered corner floor-to-ceiling glass windows to make the most of the sea views.

They have been designed so that the views can be enjoyed from almost every room and can be seen as soon as you step through the front door.

While the internal layout is spacious and bright, it is the fine detail which really makes these homes stand apart.

Kevin explains: "When you open the front door there is a clear view of the sea right through the house.

"The front door then becomes the back door as at no time do you live near that door as the whole focus is on the sea views.

"The internal finishes have cost thousands and thousands.

"Whereas a builder might spent £100 on a nice door, my doors - and there are 84 of them - have been German made to a very high specification and cost £600 each. The kitchens are also bespoke German engineered and the one in our house cost £36,000."

Bespoke Italian carpentry in the bedrooms is standard and each house has its own bar area. Even trendy black glass flush plates on the toilets cost hundreds of pounds each.

Other luxury touches include an iceless instant champagne cooler in the kitchen which was originally designed for a six star cruise ship as well as separate white and red wine temperature controlled chillers in the bar.

Kevin reveals: "Nothing has been bought because of the price; I have chosen everything in each of the houses as if it was for my own home.

"Each room has its own individual heating controls and wireless speakers. There is a touch panel in the lounge where you can control light settings and the gates which also can be controlled from your phone.

"The kitchens feature a wireless oven which can also be operated remotely from your phone so you can put your dinner on before you leave work and it will be ready when you walk through the door."

The same attention to detail has been carried outside to the gardens which have been planted to look like they have been there for years and one has already won an award for its landscape design.

When he first put Number 10 Brompton Road on the market a few weeks ago, 23 viewers came through the doors in the first fortnight, including three offers, one of which he accepted.

That cash buyer has now had to pull out and Kevin is thrilled to be offering a second chance of what he sees as a once-in-a-lifetime offer.

He adds: "I am extremely proud of being able to make my dream come true and it has taken a lifetime's work. Whoever buys number 10, and number 14 when I put it on the market, will not be able to buy anything like it anywhere else in Northern Ireland."

For more information on 10 Brompton Road call Independent Property Estates on 028 91 450 000.

Sunday Life