A small development opportunity, at the foot of one of Ireland’s longest buildings, has come up for sale.

As temperatures and tennis enthusiasm soar during Wimbledon season, a family home with a private tennis court of its own, can expect to attract set viewings.

A long, useful back garden, rising up in tiers behind No 4, The Willows, in Cork’s Classes Lake, is a bonus for a family looking for an affordable home, in a popular, modern development, around Cork’s Ballincollig and Ovens suburbs.

Sq m: 93 (998 sq ft)

A tasty makeover has been applied to the interiors of Hemel, an upgraded country cottage a quarter of an hour’s drive from Cork City at Kilbonane, near Aherla.

We scan a selection of trading up homes from around the country.

Tommy Barker says this 1970s large detached house in Ovens, Co Cork has been freshened up to move with the times.

River vistas enhance these two Lee valley homes. Tommy Barker reports

CARRIGROHANE, CORK €455,000

Four-bed detached homes relaunched for between €220,000 and €250,000. Tommy Barker reports

TOWER, CO CORK €142,000

SKIBBEREEN, Co Cork €69,000

Dunmanway, Co Cork €130,000

New phase of Ovens development from O’Callaghan Properties for sale, Tommy Barker reports.

IT’S the site that’s the thing at Killard, Blarney, where this unreconstructed dwelling comes with 0.8 acres at the rear.

NUMBER 18, The Glen, Donnybrook, Douglas is a good three-bed semi in a good suburban location and properties here are selling well.

ANYONE for the last Poulavone Manor house? The infill scheme of just four detached houses at the eastern end of Ballincollig, Cork, is almost sold, with just one unit left to go — and this is substantially reduced to €550,000, down from an original launch price of €950,000.

A STUNNING end to the year was made with last week’s auction of Killahora House, Glounthaune, Co Cork.

THERE are a number of unique selling points with this house at 19 The Meadows, Classes Lake, Ballincollig.

KILLAHORA House at Glounthaune, Co Cork, is to go to auction this day week, and the sale of this prime farm about seven miles east of the Cork city centre should seal market sentiment in the south for 2010.

THE market throws up the occasional house where the personality shines through so much, it would make you laugh — from a sense of fun.

Meadow Fields, Rylane, Co Cork offers of €325,000 for a 2,500 square foot house.

THERE’S nothing like a long, lingering driveway to stir fantasies of living like the quality.

YEARS of trawling around old houses makes one immune to mould, damp and peeling wallpaper.

Rose Martin is impressed by the quality and space of suave Stone Lodge.

IT’S the kind of house beloved by the Tiger cubs – big, well-finished and standing on its own site of more than half an acre. This two-storey house has a rural setting in the Lee Valley at Coolgarriff, Coachford. While it needs complete landscaping outside, it’s really lovely inside.

A SMART, four-bed bungalow at Kilbarry, Kilmurry, Co Cork, at €245,000 is attractive and affordable, says agent Killian Lynch, (along with joint agents Property Partners O’Mahony Walsh).

HOW often do you see an Irish harp and a Welsh harp together – and in a regular, Irish home?

TOWER village is only 10 minutes drive from Cork city and has doubled in size over the last 15 years.

THERE’S space here, but not that you’d know it — this dormer bungalow packs in 2,900 sq ft on its half acre site outside Ballincollig at Inniscarra, Co Cork.

At Ballyshoneen, Waterfall, Co Cork for €495,000.

TWELVE were built and eight are now sold, giving a choice of just four properties at the new Lisheen Fields development in Ballincollig, Co Cork.

A LOT done, more to do at this house at Coolyduff, Inniscarra, Co Cork. A 3,000-footer, most of the hard labour is complete but some finishing remains.

A NEW development of townhouses in Macroom offers starter homes at €235,000 upwards.

THIS Church Cross development is an unusual sale — the scheme of just six detached houses on the outskirts of Cork city that is for rental investment or holiday home use only.

WHAT a house. Put a wish list together for the average self-builder and it’s here at Currahaly, Farranes.

THE construction of the big detached houses at Poulavone Manor, in Ballincollig, provided a distraction for school-runners caught in morning jams.

YOU tend to climb a lot in Cobh: the east Cork town is built on a steep hillside, but has south-facing views over the wonderful, lower harbour.

Rose Martin loves the attention to detail in this new Ballincollig estate.

THE house, the trees, the site and the river. Hard to sum up all the attributes of this sale at Rocklodge, Co Cork, because there’s so much in it.

BIG, wide and solid — this Lissarda farmhouse reflects the prosperity of its earlier farmer-builders and now shows a new face to the world.

THIS property at Bridgestown, Inniscarra is a mere 20 minutes from Cork city, and packs a lot into its 4½ acre site.

IT has been described as one of the most desirable addresses in Macroom, and when you look out the window at Sullane Weirs, you’d have to agree.