Trading Up: Lough Hyne, Skibbereen, €195,000

Small, perfectly formed and even more perfectly sited, is Lakeview — a pint-sized property with a recent price drop, on an acre, by reed-fringed Loughalla lake and tidal Lough Hyne in deep and delightful West Cork.

And, not only does it have views to the first lake and proximity (two miles) to the second, the famed marine reserve of Lough Hyne, it also has beaches nearby, at Tragumna and Tralispean, plus a public pier for those into boats.

Set at a townland called Dromadoon and now guided at just under €200k by Skibbereen estate agent Charles McCarthy who’s now hoping for an early 2017 sale for its private UK-based owner, he says it’s an affordable option for a holiday home hunter, who doesn’t want a lot of rooms inside, and who’ll value the acre and setting.