Trading up: Rathpeacon, Cork €575,000

Now 25 years old, Belmont House at Cork’s Rathpeacon is “stylish, spacious and secluded,” says its selling agent Frank Walsh, of O’Mahony Walsh of this 2,800 sq ft home, on a site of 1.5 acres which includes a tennis court, and an elevated patio with views to Blarney Castle in the distance.

Mr Walsh launched it on the market this month with several open viewings, and describes it as “a must-see home within a short drive of Cork city, and of Blarney itself.”

Guiding at €575,000, it’s a big five-bedroomed bungalow with three large reception rooms, two with fireplaces and the third’s a dining room, big enough to seat a dozen diners.