Queen of the roses

BUYERS at the very top end of the property market appear bullish about values — they are snapping up €1 million-plus properties about Munster.

Good solid sales across a range of city and country properties have been recorded as the autumn selling season gets into swing, and that's encouraging for the vendors of Rosehill, a Georgian home near Douglas in Cork.

It hits the market pitched at the uppermost end of the scale, with a €2.5 million guide quoted by John Gaffney of GVM Auctioneers, has about 3,000 sq ft of space and four bedrooms, with courtyard, in the middle of 16 valuable acres. It has been extensively refurbished.

While it has the trappings of country life with a parkland setting and stables for horses, its value is guaranteed long-term as well due to the rarity of such mixes close to the city.

Recent Cork sales show a continuing strong level of demand for period homes, and latest successful sales include Lisnalee, a two-storey over basement period house on an acre on gardens, on Barrington's Avenue off the suburban Blackrock Road.

Fully refurbished, the high quality home was quietly on the market with Hamilton Osborne King and is believed to have fetched around €2m.

HOK also sold Cregg Olymprey, near Fermoy, a small period villa on 38 acres on the Blackwater for €1.165m, to a local businessman, while Ballydawley, between Kinsale and Innishannon, made c €750,000 with 19 acres of land.

As previously reported in these pages, Gortalough on the Rochestown Road is the latest and current Cork house record price holder. It made close to €4m through Lisney last month, and it is possible that underbidders on that magnificent house could be tempted further out of Douglas to GVM's Rosehill House, which is far less grand but on a lot more land.

Lisney, jointly with Dooley Howard, have a sale agreed on Ballygarvan Rectory and its two acres, which made just over its €850,000 guide price.

Also outside of town, estate agent Michael H Daniels sold Ashton Grove, on 10 acres at Knockraha for over €1m, while Coolalta at Carrigadrohid, a completely restored Georgian home on 12 acres overlooking the River Lee also reportedly made over €1m with the same selling agent.

Out in Co Clare, Mr Daniels sold the Caher Demesne, on 275 acres at Lough Graney. The buyer came from the UK and intends to create a nature reserve at the lakeside retreat. It was sold by tender for €1.6m. Tender was also used as a sale method by Mr Daniels for Fountain House, a picturesque compact period farmhouse with stone facade with 20 acres near Midleton, which fetched about €700,000 after intense viewings.

Meanwhile, Ballnatray Demesne near Youghal on the River Blackwater, with its €12m guide quoted by Ganly Walters is continuing to attract international and Irish interest, with its superbly restored main residence, 400 acres of land, river frontage and thatched boathouse. Viewings are strong, with both commercial and continuing private residential use considered by those looking over the world-class period property.