Country cottage option not far from city

HERE’S an option for buyers who don’t want the standard three-bed in the city, but can’t quite afford the big, detached house.

Brendan Bowe, of Bowe Properties has a two-bed cottage, in better than liveable condition, at Ballinhassig, for €360,000.

It comes with full planning for a very attractive extension. In the meantime, the cottage would provide a cosy nest for two.

And the sweetener is that there’s a private site of an acre and a half going along with it, so growing veg and keeping a few hens is always an option for the recession-minded.

Yet this little affordable package is not far from Cork city and there are schools and shops at nearby Crossbarry, Halfway and Ballinhassig.

In fact, the village of Ballinhassig offers a good restaurant and a new scheme there, River’s Edge, had a very quick uptake when launched in the spring.

A total of 150 houses are due up in the village at some stage, so buyers for this site won’t feel isolated.

As always in this climate, Mr Bowe is open to offers and is looking for a quick sale.