Starter home: Glanmire, Cork €220,000

It is only 650 sq ft, but it’s elegant and on a lush quarter-acre in Glanmire.

Size: 60 sq m (650 sq ft)

Bedrooms: 2

Bathrooms: 1

BER: G

Best Feature: Bit of a buzz

EVEN the name has a charm — this Eastcliffe, Glanmire home, Bumblebee Cottage, is a bit of a honey.

New to market with Gillian McDonnell, of Sherry FitzGerald, who prices it at €220,000, the bungalow/cottage is described as ‘bijou’ — an expression or euphemism that usually means ‘small’.

And, in truth, it does only have about 650 sq ft, but it has about a quarter of an acre of ground, in a woodland setting, bounded by old stone walls, and lushly planted, with ferns, vegetable garden, swing/play area and even a glasshouse.

It’s elevated, up the garden path on a steeply-sloping site overlooking the Glashaboy River, with parking down below for two cars.

It’s up a few steps, with access via a cheery red front door, and straight into a 15’ by 12’ dining room/kitchen, and behind is a slender bedroom, long, but just shy of 6’ wide.

There’s a more standard-sized main bedroom, past a double-aspect sitting room with brick fireplace, and, at the opposite end of the house (which, bar the slender back bedroom, is essentially one room wide) is a WC with shower over a bath, with a lean-to shelter in front, next to the entrance.

Windows are in age-appropriate wood sashes, and there’s a railed terrace along the front of the cottage, with brick BBQ and some seating areas.

VERDICT: Perfect for those who don’t want a boring box home, love their gardens and don’t have huge interior space needs.