Trading up: Banteer, Cork €350,000

Sq m: 163 (1,750 sq ft)

Billed as a lifestyle buy is Curragh Lodge, a detached four-bed family home on 12 acres, with stables, barn, glasshouse, lofted detached garage, and more.

The 1,750 sq ft home at Clonmeen, Banteer, North Cork, is guided at €350,000 by Mallow-based agents ERA O’Connell, which noted a recent major sale of Clonmeen House, a fine Victorian period 10-bed gem, for about €1m; now that’s a lifestyle buy!

More manageable is this “lodge”, a decent dormer design on good land with paddocks for ponies, horses, and gardening galore.

Close to Banteer and its railway station, the house is 40km from Cork and 70km from Killarney, with views of Mount Hillary in one direction and the Blackwater River in the other.

O’Connell says it’s well laid out and finished with an “exquisite” interior, and lots of outdoors scope, plus large decking section outside with views.

It has two solid wood-floored reception rooms, one with wood-burning stove, sun room, kitchen/dining with oak units, utility and guest WC, with a central vacuum system.

It also has four beds with one en suite and jacuzzi.

VERDICT: Don’t spare the horses.