Guide price reflects desirability of location

JUST your average four bedroomed bungalow - or so you might think at first glance, but Rosario sits on half an acre of gold-plated site at Sandycove, Kinsale.

So, while the average price of a bungalow like this elsewhere would range from €400,000 upwards, the location here has paved the way for a guide price of €850,000.

In response to the high level pricing, Patricia O’Regan of Sheehy Brothers cites the example of a recent neighbouring property salewhich, while it was no great shakes, started at €490,000 and rose to just under €800,000.

Rosario is fairly modern, was built in 1979, has a half-acre, private site and comes with two of its four bedrooms en suite.

It also has fantastic views, Ms O’Regan says, and deep and wide picture windows make the most of them.

All it needs, she says, is a little bit of cosmetic work: it already has a floor area of 1,800 square feet and comes with a large, south-facing patio to one side.

The house overlooks Sandycove harbour and its goat-inhabited island, and the views stretch all the way to the Atlantic ocean beyond. In Kinsale property terms, these views alone can considerably push up the price of a house.

After a slight lull, the property market in one of the best known towns in the country, is looking bullish again.

According to Ms O’Regan, the higher cost of property in Cork city is having a beneficial effect on Kinsale, with more people prepared to commute for the quality of life the town offers.

Sailing, surfing, golf, good food and a bohemian atmosphere are part of the package, as well as fresh sea air and lots of greenery.

Rosario has a large, living/dining room, a fitted kitchen, utility, four bedrooms and a bathroom.