The €1 million cottage

Tommy Barker finds a little gem with a big asking price.

And then the other parts of the broader picture emerge and coalesce, and you come around to thinking “ye Gods, they might even get it.”

First up, despite the tiny pre-Famine cottage perception, this is a place that has up to 1,700 sq ft of space and a bit of a knock-out interior because of an extension out behind - which you don’t see from the front. So, the place qualifies as ‘deceptive’.

Then, there’s the setting, right by the slipway at picturesque Sandycove, two miles along the coast from Kinsale and its harbour, and a half an hour from Cork city and airport.

The house - one of the very oldest in the picturesque inlet with more modern domestic arrivals ranged above and across on the hills - is sheltered from the ocean by Sandycove island, which is close enough to wade out to at low tide, and the shingly beach by the slip is popular for fishing, bathing and boating from.

A walkway leads along the headland by the side of this extended cottage, so the trade-off for utter proximity to the water’s edge here is a consequent loss of privacy for the grounds.

Selling agent for this Sandycove gem is Victoria Murphy in Kinsale town, who says “it has been refurbished to an amazing standard, but without losing its character.”

The main core of the original cottage is a large, open plan living area, with overhead railed mezzanine, so there’s a sense of space thanks to the double-height ceilings.

This upper level, with sloping ceilings, is used as a study and sitting area, and has sea views from a low-level Velux window, and there’s also an upper level ensuite bedroom.

Down below there are two smart bedrooms, a country style kitchen, a living room with fireplace, two bathrooms and a lean-to conservatory.

In addition, there’s a garage with solarium overhead, and the small plot is kept low-maintenance with gravel, low stone walls, potted plants and paving.

Because it is so easy to keep, it is an ideal holiday home purchase for those with cash to spend, and because there’s 1,700 sq ft of space, it may also become a permanent bolt-hole for another niche of buyers.