€475k for bungalow with its own woodland area right outside

'Extra' land could be just the trick at Riverstick

St Martins, Crura, Riverstick, Co Cork.

Riverstick, Co Cork
€475,000
Size	106 sq m (1141 sq ft)
Bedrooms	3
Bathrooms	1
BER	B3

New owners of this detached Riverstick home could enjoy it exactly as it is — a three-bed bungalow with private 0.76 acre gardens - or they could look at a whole new development of the woodland area.

Basically, the B3-rated home that is St Martins at Crura is on an elevated part of the site but new owners could go down the route of utilising the recent planning exemptions to install a log cabin as a guest lodge or for multi-generational living.

And they could also of course examine the option of asking for planning permission for a bit of a bigger development there too.

The house there was built in 1976 and was bought by the current owners eight years ago (for €309k according to the Property Price Register).

The previous occupants had converted a garage into living space but these latest owners brought it to a whole new level with extensive energy and decorative upgrades.

It’s now a B3-rated bright home with a logical and useful layout — with three bedrooms at one end separated from living space by the hallway and bathroom. The living areas are laid out as an open-plan kitchen/dining room with a living room and sitting room as well.

“It’s beautifully renovated and is really attractive and funtional,” notes Johnny O’Flynn of Sherry FitzGerald, adding that the owners are selling this home for €475k now due to an expanding family.

The good-sized gardens directly around the house are level and bordered with a low wall to the front and mature trees at the rear, and then there’s the stepped-down zone which gives all the extra options.

Having a compact woodland section ready for planning exempt log cabins or full planning applications gives buyers rare flexibility for multi-generational living or future resale gain.

While examining their development options or waiting for planning permissions the owners could just carry on enjoying life just a short, two-minute spin from Riverstick itself, and an 8.8km trip from the centre of Kinsale.

It’s in a handy spot for getting to Cork Airport which is 13km away and taking City Hall as a marker, it’s 18km from the city centre.

There is enough room for play equipment in the garden, al-fresco dining and storage too and the house itself has thoughtful decor including panelling in the hallway, and living and dining rooms.

Low-sill windows in the bedrooms add to a sense of light and airiness and there are glazed double doors connecting the dining room to the back garden.

VERDICT: A nice pairing of high-energy efficiency (B3 rating) with handy long-term potential.