Investment will bring big rewards

WITH ordinary enough houses in Kinsale routinely hitting the €1 million-plus mark and water views carrying a premium, astute buyers will appreciate Ballydawley's potential.

Five years ago, Ballydawley House, a few miles upriver of the Co Cork harbour town, was a snip at £250,000, though it needed work.

On the market last year for a period, and now back for sale with Dominic Daly, it has a €1.5 million guide and is still an unfinished project.

Making it a good buy, at whatever price it eventually makes, are its basic attributes, including 19 acres of woodland and paddock, water-frontage to the river Bandon, with the remains of an old pier, outbuildings and a three-bed cottage partially renovated to the rear.

The house itself is of solid Georgian stock, with five bedrooms at first floor level - and not a bathroom between them. Instead, the bathroom is at ground level, where there's a hall, drawing room, dining room, family room and kitchen/breakfast room.

It needs work and investment, and would be worth doing right. It is the sort of place which could benefit from being brought back to basics, which would add future value.

Ballydawley House is near Dunderrow, on the Bandon river between Kinsale and Innishannon, has sweeping river and rural hinterland views, a great setting, a period house, work done on a stone three-bed dormer cottage, and its buildings include a garage, hay barn and stores.