Natural look designed to attract niche market

THERE’s no need to go to school through the fields at Sli na Scoile — the west Cork village’s national school is just across the road, and the church is right next door to the seven-house scheme.

The builders behind the niche development Caislean Stonemasons put their expertise to use, cladding the exteriors of the houses in a mix of local stone and some Clare stone, and while they are block built, the use of internal insulation has garnered them a ‘B’ BER rating. Full planning was given for 13 houses here, six detacheds and six semis, with one mid-terraced.

A showhouse has just been finished, and now the scheme is being launched and going in display/offer via several local agents, including John O’Neill of Celtic Properties in nearby Bantry.

Prices are €250,000 for a builders’ finish, with good allowances for the final fittings, or a house can be finished out to showhouse standard for €265,000, says spokesperson Ciaran Cronin. He says Caislean Stone Masons have 20 years’ quality building experience across many sectors, and local work includes house in Kealkil Mountain View in 2005, with apartments and retail units in village in 2007- 2008.

The target market for the scheme of c 1,100 sq ft houses in Kealkil, a few miles inland from Bantry in west Cork, includes first time buyers and holiday home buyers, downsizers. There’s parking in front, and rear patios and gardens, and the heating/hot water system is pressurised, with plumbing in place at roof level to allow solar panels be fitted at a later date.