Pretty pastoral property

THIS is a very smart house — from the glazed and glossy front door through to the impressive hallway and back to the sophisticated kitchen.

Simple, but huge, (it has 2,800 square feet of space), number 15 Carraig Aoil is a bit of a distance from Cork city, at Cloughduv, but then its location is superb for families.

Just off the N22, it is a half hour’s drive to town, but is set in a small, pastoral village in mid-Cork, with enough amenities to make life easy.

A walk to the school, (via a pedestrian route), a few minutes from the local playing pitch, and of course, the pub and supermarket, Cloghduv showcases the ‘small is beautiful’ philosophy.

A 15 minute zip down the road, Ballincollig offers a choice of shopping centres.

A low-density estate of big, one-offs, Carrig Aoil is a secure environment for children and then there’s the price differential — No 15 hits the market at €650,000, good for such a substantial house.

And you can’t fault the interior styling: there’s very little to be changed here — it’s a walk-in job.

The hallway is the calling card: a big open space, divided by a central staircase, with a wraparound gallery landing above.

Glazed double doors lead through to the living room, with French oak flooring, burgundy feature wall and an understated fireplace.

Across the hallway is the dining room which leads onto the kitchen/dining area.

Running along the back of the house, it has a high-end finish with large banks of units on either side of the working area, topped with solid maple. A big central island in brick creates a nice counterpoint and this integrated unit is topped with granite.

Adjoining the kitchen is a big, family room which also has double doors to the south-west garden.

Bedrooms are also big: the master had a fully-fitted dressing room, walking through to the bathroom and a second double room also comes en suite. There are three other rooms bringing the total to five including a very attractive main bathroom with separate shower.

On a site of one-third of an acre and including a deck and block-built shed, this is a fine buy for a family looking for lots of space and a green location.

The selling agent is Norma Healy, Sherry Fitzgerald.