Bungalow bliss ensures great views over the Lee

THERE are three sale boards now up on Cork’s Lee Road, an unusual occurrence for an area where house’s change hands infrequently.

Following on the launch of the Lodge, the yellow cottage at the gates of Mount Desert, and the landmark, thatched house 'Rosanna' all close by, a four-bedroomed bungalow is now up for sale with auctioneer, Tom Woodward.

'Glenside' is a mature bungalow with some of the best views in the Greater Cork area.

Stringent planning conditions mean it's now impossible to build here, which should give an upward curve to prices locally, but this house has an opening reserve of €360,000. It comes with half an acre of land and superb views overlooking the meandering Lee and Carrigrohane Castle.

And the flooding problem that made this road impassible at least once a year has now been sorted out by Cork County Council.

However, Glenside, as the name suggests, is high up over the road and is in very good order, says Tom Woodward. It also comes with generously proportioned rooms, for instance, the living room is 19' by 14', and the kitchen/breakfast room is 20' by 12'. The drawing room is the smallest reception room at 14' by 12' and there's also a utility and guest loo.

The four bedrooms are all a good size and share a main bathroom, the largest could also double as a family room. Another attraction is the large attic, which could be converted, giving even more space.

However, one of the major attractions has to be the gardens. The numerous storage and potting sheds give an idea of the level of commitment here and the hard work that created the terraced shrubberies, crazy-paved patios, stone walls there's even a mature wisteria around the house.

Facing full south, this is a property that offers stand alone privacy and seclusion in a location that's easily accessible to the city.