Halo of eco goodness in Macroom

No 7 Sunnyside offers solar panels and heat exchange units, Rose Martin reports

Back in 2004, Sunnyside was Ireland’s first eco estate. A scheme of 12 terraced houses in the grounds of an older house, the three-bed houses are still ahead of their time nearly six years later.

Offering elements such as heat exchange units, rain water harvesting, pellet stoves and solar panels, they still outflank a market where this level of insulation and finish is quite rare.

And No 7 Sunnyside is the first resale in the little horseshoe estate and is priced to sell at €110,000.

A three bed, it’s been outgrown by its present owners and represents very good value for first-time buyers, says Tom Heffernan of Sherry FitzGerald Hinchion.

“It’s a lovely house inside and comes with a designer kitchen and good quality timber floors — and it’s for sale at a good price — what you’d pay in rent, you’d pay in a mortgage here.”

The house has a living room, open plan kitchen/dining room, three bedrooms and three bathrooms, including en suite master, and windows are Swedish and triple-glazed with matching doors.

VERDICT: Right in the centre of Macroom town and part of a quiet horseshoe of houses, this little house has a halo of eco goodness.