Drishane, Dunbeacon, Durrus, Co Cork, €495,000
What it is: Built in the mid-1990s by locals, this cut-stone bungalow is similar to the traditional cottage style. Sited on an acre and a half, Drishane is out on its own on the spectacular Mizen peninsula. It’s 7km from Durrus village and the nearest neighbours are a few minutes’ walk away. A public road alongside the property leads down to the pebbly shoreline.
At 2,100 sq ft, Drishane is spacious inside: there’s a kitchen, living room, conservatory and four bedrooms on the ground floor. The loft could also be developed, adding another 800 sq ft. There’s an open, cut-stone fireplace in the living room, double-glazed teak windows, exposed timber beams, a private well and oil-fired central heating.
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The problems: Although this is a new-build, the tiny windows are a thing of the past. There is a conservatory, but the design of the house fails to take advantage of its main selling point: the glorious views.
Drishane has been difficult to shift. Last year, it went on the market with another agent asking €600,000. Three months ago, the owners switched agents, reducing the price to €550,000. In recent weeks the price was reduced again.
There was also a mistaken belief that the property came with planning permission, but this is not the case. However, those seeking to extend the existing house could be successful.
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The advantages: Spectacular west Cork locations like this are always in demand for holiday-goers. Drishane could rent in high season for up to €800 per week.
The house is attractive and has all the modern services one would expect from a new build. The interior decoration, meanwhile, could easily be changed — lace curtains on the kitchen windows, for instance, are hardly necessary in such an isolated, magnificent location.
Harrington Estates, 027 51553, www.harringtonestates.ie