Guide price goes up as interest grows in well located property

A MERE walk to the local national school and a position off the main Bandon road has drawn huge interest to this property at Skehanagh, Ballinhassig, in Co Cork.

On the market for just a little over a week, bids starting at 350,000 euro are now at 395,000 euro and auctioneer Henry O’Leary has revised his guide price upwards: the property is now on sale at 400,000 euro from an initial 380,000.

Why this house should bring out the eager bidders is probably explained not just by the location, but also by the quality of the build - despite it’s actually needing some finishing.

Built by a bricklayer, the property has extra deep foundations to provide a support for the solid concrete floors between floor levels. This in turn allows for a cellar space, which, along with the iodine tablets, could be handy in the event of dust-up between Bush and Saddam.

On the brighter side, the house has masses of space, almost 2,500 square feet and anyone buying here will never need to build on.

Apart from certain finishing work, (the plastering in the hall and the floating floor in the master bedroom), the house is ready to go and has a fully fitted oak kitchen with, surprise, a built in brick island incorporating a gas hob and breakfast counter.

The kitchen, because it’s tiled, has underfloor heating, and the rest of the house uses wall-hung radiators.The main reception rooms are a formal sitting room with bay window and a living/dining room that comes with an inglenook fireplace, multi-fuel stove and solid oak flooring.

Another handy feature is a chute from the first floor to the utility/laundry room on the ground floor. Because of the amount of space here, the landing has a gallery-style layout and leads to the house’s four bedrooms, three of which of are ensuite.

The master bedroom lives up to this description and comes with a dressing room and bathroom: it also has French doors leading to a balcony, which needs to be completed.

The rest of the bedrooms have wooden floors and are generously proportioned.

Also included in the layout is a small study to the front of the house and a garage with pressurised oil burner fitted.

The property sits on grounds of half an acre and is jut off the N71 to Cork, making it ideal for commuters.