Bantry farmhouse ideal for a lazy lifestyle

Absolute charm, old-world ambience, tasty upgrades and enhancements, and a tranquil setting — little wonder this Bantry area farmhouse and outbuildings go by a name as beguiling as Lazy Acres.

And, if you are the indolent type, you won’t have acres to mind: this stone-built farm house, plus barn conversion and good quality art/music studio/workroom is on ‘just’ 0.75 of an acre of lovely grounds with valley views, and which includes the low-stone ruins of an earlier cottage, all ringed by mature native trees.

Selling agent for Lazy Acres is Michéal Duggan of Sherry FitzGerald O’Neill in Skibbereen, who describes this dwelling about four miles from Bantry and 10 miles from Glengarriff as “traditional”: it’s all that and more, with unfitted kitchen with old pine units, rough-rendered whitewashed internal walls, some exposed stone and quality woodwork, and has a stove set into a traditional hearth, with exposed stone lintel, all backed up now by gas fired central heating, double glazing and a gable end sun room.

The separate, adjacent self-contained guest cottage has a hall, kitchen/dining/living area, utility room, bathrooms and a first floor bedroom, with half-door on the gable to exterior stone steps.

A real bonus is the upgraded, lofted and spacious studio/workshop, with yet another wood-burning stove and Mr Duggan suggests it may be used for guests, office/crafts or small business, subject to planning, and seems tailor-made for an Airbnb type use too such is the setting.

“The buildings are adaptable, adding to the property’s ambience, with very pleasant and tended grounds,” Mr Duggan adds, guiding the entire lot at €295,000.

Location is up toward the end of a cul-de-sac, with some neighbouring properties, close to Cappinaboul Lough and Ballylickey’s a short spin away

VERDICT: Sensitively renovated and minded, a private world for the right buyer, without being too remote