Trading up: Ballingurteen, West Cork €195,000

Size: 207 sq m (2,230 sq ft)

IT’S amazing what you can do with a traditional farmhouse — as this house in Ballingurteen shows. Taking an original old building and wrapping a new wing around it, as well as copious insulation, this is a prime example of why knocking vernacular houses is not always the answer.

And with a less-is-more approach to the interior, this four-bed beauty is on the market at €195,000 through Miche•l Duggan of Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill, under early offers.