Trading up: KILCANNON, WATERFORD €475,000

CONTEMPORARY, spacious and striking, Ashton House near Dunhill village in Waterford is a stone-fronted five-bed house built in the shape of a hemisphere.

The highly unusual two-storey house is new to the market with selling agents Derek Walsh auctioneers who say it’s almost certainly the only horseshoe-shaped house in the area.

Bright, modern and well-maintained it has interesting room shapes, and to the rear has a patio in the centre of the hemisphere. Accommodation includes a large open-plan kitchen/living room with vaulted ceiling and an elevated fireplace as well as oak kitchen units. A second, large reception room has laminate walnut flooring, a feature natural stone wall and a fireplace.

The property has five bedrooms, including two on the first floor with balconies and two ground floor ones which open onto the back patio. One of the bedrooms has a walk-in wardrobe and two of them have en suites, one with a sauna. Other rooms include a pantry, utility room, bathroom and a large gym/study.

There is an 800 sq ft attached garage and three quarters of an acre of gardens with lawns. Location is less than a mile from Annestown beach.

VERDICT: A trade-up for a family looking for a distinctive, stylish home with lots of space.