Leave the city behind and you'll get so much more for your money

IT can't be said often enough that the further out from any city in Ireland you go, the cheaper the cost of housing.

A prime example of this is the village of Cloughduv in Co Cork, where house prices can be 10%, if not 15%, below suburban levels.

In the throes of the new village-style development beloved of planners, Cloughduv might also see a 50-plus house development on the site of the former Cloughduv GAA grounds. Developer Owen O'Callaghan purchased the six-acre site this year for a sum significantly in excess of its €2 million guide price and has a scheme under review by Cork County Council at the moment.

This new tranche of houses is just one development in a building blitzkrieg that has seen the mid-Cork village quadruple in size over the past five years.

Access to the main Cork/Macroom road and the new Ballincollig bypass are all factors in the draw and while the local infrastructure hasn't come on at the same speed, it's expected that the new GAA grounds, running to 17.5 acres, will include three new pitches (including all-weather facilities), a tennis court, clubhouse and children's playground.

Right now, Cloughduv has a church, national school, shop and pub, with the likelihood of a small retail development in the pipeline to meet growing demand.

And this week, hot off the listings is a nearly new, 2,800 square foot property in the upmarket Carrig Aoil estate.

Number 15 is on the market at €450,000 through Norma Healy of Sherry FitzGerald and would pass even the most pernickety perfectionist, she says.

Rooms include a lounge, family room, dining room, guest bathroom, utility and four bedrooms.

All of the ground floor has solid, French oak flooring and 10' high ceilings with recessed lighting. The kitchen has solid maple units with integrated appliances included in the sale, as well as a mellow brick island and granite worktops.

The sash-windowed number 15, Carrig Aoil has a hugely impressive staircase, and undeveloped space in the attic, says Ms Healy.

The grounds run to one-third of an acre and the gardens are west facing at the rear and not overlooked.