Trading Up: Watergrasshill, Cork €525,000

We’ve had the wind and the rain and the cold in the last week, but not yet the snow — so you haven’t missed any seasonal Christmas flurries yet, worry not: it’s just that the owners of of this large Watergrasshill home called Kealcille snapped this snowy shot when they were snug as bugs in this B3 BER rated, cosily warm home.

Kealcille, called after Kealkil’s stone quarry near Bantry in West Cork, was built a decade ago, with no expense spared, notes selling agent Joe Organ.

He points to features like six solar panels, air to water thermal heating system, underfloor heating, Futura windows, high insulation standards — and, a whopper of a wood-burning stove, all 18 kilowatts of it, in the double height living area with mezzanine. (Query: how does Santa cope with stoves?)

That mezzanine was crafted by jointer John Collins, who also did the bespoke oak staircase with its fantastic curved underbelly, and the kitchen is also a one-off, with range cooker set in a stone surround, with marble tiled tops on the island.

The mix of stone and marbles includes travertine in the hall floor, and quartz and marble in some of the bathrooms, one of which has a slipper bath, notes agent Joe Organ .

One of three one-offs at Bishop’s Island, just off the M8, Kealcille is on a 0.9 acre landscaped site, with decking, water feature/pond, and outdoor fireplace with stove/BBQ.

VERDICT: A short 15 minute commute to Glanmire opens up a lot of house for the money