25% price cut for farmhouse on four acres

IT’S all market imperatives at the moment, which in MBA-speak means prices are dropping.

Whether it’s a correction or a collapse depends on where you sit — but one thing is certain if you’re a cash buyer, you’re going to do well.

A farmhouse in Skibbereen, which is up to high second home standards, is now reduced to a €1.35 million asking price, having been launched last October at a guide of €1.8 million.

Just a mile from the town, the property is set in four well-maintained acres, and has distant sea views.

A impressive collection of old and new, the house has a duck pond, an orchard and new deciduous woodland, along with native hedgerow boundaries, which combine with a 2,700 square foot house to offer a rural idyll for heavy-hitting buyers.

Edward Townshend of Colliers Jackson Stops is handling the sale, and says it’s a beautifully refurbished and enlarged property which will require little save some decorating.

The original farmhouse has been expanded with two wings, both south-facing. Rooms have been given greater breadth and depth, and the finish and high, cathedral ceilings are attractive. The drawing room alone is 7.8 by 5.7 metres, and has a huge inglenook in stone with wide plank oak flooring and stout, overhead beams. A wall of windows on one side and patio doors on the other to the garden ensure plenty of light is this room.

The owners aren’t afraid of colour either and many of the rooms display bold choices.

The kitchen is fitted in country pine, and has a solid fuel stove with a separate pantry-utility, while the living room has a more traditional look, with a Victorian fireplace. Then there’s a family room, study, conservatory and an attic playroom, along with three bedrooms, including a large master suite.

The outbuildings come with power and water, and the property has a 2,700 square foot shed with lean-to and garage. A greenhouse and potting shed are included.

The south-facing side of the house has a terrace sheltered by two wings and then a large deck area leads downwards to the duck pond and a man-made island with pagoda, for taking in the views.

And if the peace and quiet gets too much, the surround sound system in the house runs out to the garden.