House of the week: Ballintemple, Cork, €725,000

Size: Sq m 235 (2,525 sq m)

Bring back the car-port. Those sheltering all-American add-ons come into their own in weather like we’ve just had since Christmas. Come hail, rain, gale or snow, you can get self, children and shopping from car door to house front door without a fuss or a soaking. And, if you want, they also provide shelter for bikes, bins, pets and logs... more homes should have one.

Yet, you need homes and gardens/sites of a certain size to make a car-port work — so houses like those at Cork’s suburban Janeville show car ports in their prime.