Pink can make the buyers’ wish in West Cork for €395,000

Did we mention that it’s pretty and pink? Pink Cottage, Skahanagh, Union Hall

Union Hall, West Cork
€395,000
Size	120 sq m (1,300 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	2
BER	D2

IT’S hard to avoid the rather obvious introduction to this picture-postcard West Cork cottage: it’s pretty, it’s pink, so welcome to Pretty in Pink, picking up on the 1980s teen romance movie of that alliterative title.

And, for the family now, after 20 years of use as a holiday home, it sort of is the end of a long romance, suggests auctioneer Maeve McCarthy who admits “they are selling with heavy hearts, but they just don’t get enough use out of it.”

Her vendors are Irish, but live in Dublin, so it’s still a bit of a trek to this coastal setting near Union Hall, just over the hour time-wise from Cork city.

Pink Cottage is within a short stroll of the beach.

It’s an unusual time of the year to be listing something so charming, within a short walk of a beach and with such lovely sheltered gardens, but the decision is made: it went live to the market late last week, and interest is expected to come from the West Cork locale, from Cork city-based home hunters, as well as those coming from further afield.

As broadband is available, it might well suit those looking to make the lifestyle move and who can work from home, full- or part-time.

Pink Cottage. At the €395,000 AMV, it's at the lower end of the scale for West Cork sales during pandemic times.

“At the price point, it’s got very wide appeal,” agrees the second generation selling agent with Charles P McCarthy auctioneers based in Skibbereen.

At the €395,000 AMV, it’s at the lower end of the scale for this local agency that has racked up a clutch of multi-million euro West Cork sales during pandemic times: close on €15m, most likely, including the LissArd estate, acquired as a hospitality venue by US-based purchasers.

Pink Cottage is up the valley from the beach in a more sheltered spot.

Located only a few kilometres from prosperous Union Hall village and the even more gilded setting of Glandore across the harbour, Pink Cottage is tucked away around a headland to the west, set very close to the beautiful shingle cove of Carrigillihy, but is sort of up the valley from the beach and far more sheltered.

What one loses in sea and Rabbit Island views, one gets back in terms of less exposure to the elements, Ms McCarthy accepts and says that even in mid-November, the gardens here still had that typical West Cork bush or shrub, the hydrangea, still with blossoms on it while they are gone now in more open settings.

The grounds of Pink Cottage include sheds and a stone outbuilding.

Pink Cottage is on c 0.75 of an acre, on a wedge-shaped site with the ‘main’ road to Carrigillihy by its entrance (‘main’ is a notional term, the road is narrow and generally quiet) and has an even smaller lane on one other side.

It’s grounds include sheds and a stone outbuilding, of about 400 sq ft, in very good order, roofed and with windows, and making good use of it for guests, or hobbies, or as a home office will be a simple job, so much work has already been done to it.

Pink Cottage is full of original features, such as the exposed beams and trusses in the double aspect living room.

That’s in addition to the main c 1,300 sq ft main house, with about two thirds of its floor area at ground level and with about one-third, c 400 sq ft, above, where the two-storey dormer section (with Veluxes) holds two of the three bedrooms, one of which has a second gable end steps, very traditional indeed in concept.

In addition to that upper floor, the main characterful living room wing, off at one end, has a mezzanine under the roof’s sloping ceilings, and it’s reached or forgotten about by the simple experience of using a removable ladder, again a feature of old Irish cottages and their lofts under the thatch.

The kids and young at heart will love this hideaway at Pink Cottage.

Ms McCarthy says the house is full of original features, or recreated ones such as the exposed beams and trusses in the double aspect living room with its thick walls and stone fireplace under the mezzanine, and it’s just the sort of hideaway place that children and the young at heart will adore.

Ground floor rooms include the living room, galley style kitchen, leading to a long and slender dining room/sun room with stove, banquette seating and a long, corner window for bright garden views, and there’s also a ground floor bathroom, bedroom and a utility.

The galley style kitchen at Pink Cottage.

Pink Cottage has all been very well kept, with both oil central heating and some electric storage heating (handy for low-grade heat if/when unoccupied,) has mains water and a D2 BER; most windows have been replaced, and window positions are quite novel, one low down in a thick stone gable, another placed high up just under the roof/soffit.

Another window is an unusual projecting one, above ground, quite 1960s architect-conceived looking, overlooking the stone-flagged courtyard between the main house and the adaptable, multi-use stone outbuilding and parking area.

Pink Cottage also boasts a long and slender dining room/sun room with bright garden views.

The bulk of the site is on the other side, with lawns, flagged and sheltered sit-out areas, with trees for swings, play areas and herb beds, and there’s a further raised garden section also.

Attractions locally include the nearby Carrigillihy beach, island-hopping, kayaking and boating, headland walks, and Union Hall which is a lovely walk by a lily-pad lake is 2.5kms away, and has a good mix of bars, restaurants including the Dock Bar, just redone to a high standard with garden/water frontage, as well as shop, fish shop and fishing, pier and sports facilities.

The stairway up to two of Pink Cottage's three bedrooms.

VERDICT: Did we mention that it’s pretty and that it’s pink? Might even be worth going into the red for.