Get this in your field of vision

Rose Martin says Harvel House’s views alone justify the €2.5m price.

HARVEL House is not a snip at €2.5m, but then, houses with prime views over the sea at Oysterhaven are as rare as hen’s teeth.

Which is why Pam Norris and Patricia O’Regan, of Kinsale agents, Sheehy Brothers, are confident in the price and the property.

Launched in high summer, Harvel has that winning combination, which can be boiled down to — location, location, location. On a high bluff at the head of Kinure Bay, and on a site of 1.6 acres, this 1970s bungalow is home to the Norman family, headed up by Giles Norman, the photographer.

His black-and-white oeuvre is hung on walls all over the country and the firm has galleries in Dublin and Kinsale. The family is relocating to Kinsale and put the house on the market in July. The modest facade belies the open-plan and fresh interior, which includes four bedrooms and a separate guest suite. Harvel House offers more than enough space for a family, but it’s the large site, (including tennis courts), which will be one of the main attractions.

Although planning permission is restricted in this area, there could be some development potential, as the lower end of the site is out of the sight line of the water and is shielded by trees. Low visual impact would be an important consideration for the planning authorities, because of the beauty of the surrounding area.

Harvel House is close to the former Walton Court estate, which is now a holiday home development. The marina, which was built in contravention of planning, has been ruled against at High Court level and an appeal may be taken to the Supreme Court.

The doggedness of the planning authorities on this issue is an indication of the sensitivity of the surrounding areas and of their determination to preserve its integrity.

Kinure, Oysterhaven is an unspoilt cove within a ten minute’s drive of Kinsale and has some very high-end homes: Harvel House displays this premium.

Set at the end of a sweeping tarmac drive, the property has a large sitting room with big, picture windows to take in the views. Next door, and again facing south, is a large open-plan kitchen/dining area, with more than a touch of the French provincial in its style.

The kitchen end is modern and hand-built and includes an Aga, while the dining end runs into a sunroom extension with sweeping views over the sea.

Bedrooms are located in a large wing to the rear, while the master bedroom takes up the western end of the house, and is a modern and attractive suite with lots of privacy.

The three remaining bedrooms share a main bathroom, and, at the very end of the house, there is a second, guest suite.

This also has a separate entrance, and, with a large workshop adjoining, could convert to a fully fledged apartment. Right now, it’s used as a games room/den and has direct access to the rear garden. With a footprint of 2,500 sq ft and a site of 1.6 acres, Harvel House is so close to the water it almost feels like the views come up to the front door.