Trading Up: Vicarstown, Cork, €420,000

YOU get space inside and outside, in abundance, at Fiddlers Brook, a large twin-winged bungalow, on 2.5 acres north of Cork city, at a spot called Foxes Bridge.

Set near Courtbrack, a few miles beyond just north of Blarney and Tower, Cork city’s about a 17km/25 minute commute, and estate agent Robert O’Keeffe of Irish and European guides the 3,300 sq ft Fiddlers Brook at €420,000, noting it is on 2.5 acres, which includes three stables, paddock, landscaped gardens with rockery, and lots of space for car and jeep and horse-box parking too.

One the market earlier this year with a higher asking price (c €465,000) and listed then with a different agent, this spacious double-fronted bungalow, has up to five bedrooms, kitchen with range cooker, and one of the several reception rooms has dual aspect fireplace as a room divide.

The single storey layout make is particularly accessible and suitable for anyone with access needs, and separate to the main house in an adjacent annexe is a multi-purpose home office/gym, with sauna.

Irish and European’s Mr O’Keefe describes Fiddlers Brook as a well proportioned family home, with excellent living accommodation, pleasant rural views overlooking the Shournagh river, 10 minutes from Blarney,and giving scope for real countryside integration, with facilities for horse, ponies and pets.

VERDICT: You get twice the amount of space, and literally acres of land, that the same sort of €420k sum would buy you now in a city suburb.