What it is: Why such a big price for such a little cottage? Described by its selling agent as “one of the most unique coastal properties to come on the market in recent times”, the key to this pretty but modest whitewashed cottage’s swollen valuation is its setting. Located on a hill overlooking Warren Beach, Galley Head and Rosscarbery Lagoon in pricey west Cork, this humble, traditional dwelling sits on a coastal tract of land that has been designated a visual amenity area.
This 300-sq-ft cottage may be run-down and its outbuildings close to falling down, but it’s surrounded by eight acres of untouched, and now untouchable, land.
Ten minutes’ walk from Rosscarbery, the stone-built, one-room structure is habitable (there is electricity, water and a telephone) but needs a lot of work.
The problems: Built to accommodate farmers, labourers and artisans, can a simple, single-storey cottage really be worth €300,000? The sale offers a rare chance to capture a parcel of west Cork land but with no planning permission in place, there is no guarantee that you’ll be able to do much with this scenic pocket of countryside. The adjoining, derelict outhouses suggest you might be able to extend the existing accommodation to a potentially roomy 2,000 sq ft, but west Cork’s conservative planners could decide otherwise. At the moment, the eight-acre plot is split between woodland and paddocks — a combination not suitable for much except hobby farming.
The advantages: With planning permission for one-off dwellings in areas of natural beauty now extinct, acquiring one of these worn-out holdings has become the only way to secure an affordable home with sea views. The price may seem excessive but this slice of sought-after coastline can only grow in value. The nearby tidal lagoon and golden strand are renowned for swimming, fishing and sailing. With the charming village of Rosscarbery only a stroll away, this is a holidaymaker’s idyll.
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SWS Property, 023 33367, www.swsproperty.com; Keane Mahony Smith, 021 427 0311, www.k-m-s.com