Hot homes from home

ONE of the effects of the booming Irish economy is not just the price people pay for their family homes, it is also the remarkable surge in values of second and holiday homes.

Cheap and cheerful chalets have been consigned to the past for many Irish families with money to splash around: second homes have become trophy additions.

Recent weeks have seen a Cahirciveen, Ring of Kerry, property sell as a second home to a Limerick buyer for around €700,000. A Glandore, West Cork, new-build is currently under offer at €860,000, and a half a million spend on an Irish weekend or holiday bolt-hole is increasingly common.

Buyers for these southwest coast trophies are primarily Irish, with Londoners also in the fray.

For Irish buyers, though, ease of access is key no flights to overseas resorts are needed and these second homes can be visited at the drop of a hat. They have also displayed strong capital appreciation.

So, it should be clear sailing in the sale of 38 Clearwater, a smart full-time or holiday home in Cork's Courtmacsherry village.

The seaside village development of detached houses by Fleming Construction was a solid seller from day one, about three or four years ago, and resales are always chased after by those who neglected to buy first time around.

Now, though, you'll pay for being late for the party: No 38 carries a price guide of €485,000 with agent Kieran O'Gorman in Clonakilty, who reckons "it is the dearest house to come up here, but it is the best as well".

He puts his professional neck on the line by saying it has the best site, and is the best built as well, getting away with the claims (37 other house owners might beg to differ) by virtue of the fact that the vendor is a builder associated with John Fleming.

It was the last house to be built in Clearwater, and was finished just about a year ago. It is also about the biggest of the bunch.

It has five bedrooms, two entrances and there's a sheltered deck to the rear, with landscaped gardens and sea views.

Externally, it has a part-stone facade, coloured render, ornamental barges and ridge tiles, and the dormers have a distinctive cedar wood-clad finish: the utility room has a novel porthole window another example of making extra effort.

Internally, there's a large hall, family room with oak floor and antique fireplace, high ceilinged sun room or conservatory with deck access, an office, dining room with double patio doors, and a large kitchen with lots of built-ins, island and integrated appliances included in the sale.

There's a WC, and utility, and upstairs two of the five bedrooms are en suite, with a power shower in the main one and another power shower plus Jacuzzi in the main bathroom.

The master bedroom has double doors to a front balcony giving the best of the sea views and the views and village amenities underscore the value.