Looking for a rural house with bags of individual character, in a lovely location with great views, but don't want to be buried miles from anywhere, or give up the convenience of a well-planned, well-insulated, damp-free modern house? You really do need to view this one (also check out our dedicated website www.homeinwestcork.com for lots more details and photographs).The chances are that as soon as you see it you will fall in love with it. Because we wish to return to the UK to do another building project, we have been able to take advantage of the exchange rate and lower UK site and property prices to very substantially reduce the price. Do come and see it, and make an offer! No chain and quick completion.

This nineteenth century former croft has been lovingly renovated and extended by its architect owner, resulting in a house which combines the character of the old with the convenience of the new. The house nestles into the hillside, facing south, with panoramic views of the picturesque Ouvane River valley and the surrounding hills. A small easily-maintained mature garden with ash, sycamore and silver birch trees includes a timber decked sitting out area with a raised portion to take full advantage of the views of Bantry Bay and Whiddy Island at the end of the valley. In spite of its peaceful country location, it is just five minutes from a well-stocked supermarket, twelve minutes' drive from Bantry, fifteen from Glengarriff and an hour and a quarter from Cork city centre or airport.

Although externally retaining much of its original character, with lots of blank walls, now finished in low maintenance self-coloured render, and small windows to the front and sides, the house is light and airy, thanks to strategically placed roof glazing. This glazing, aided by high specification external insulation throughout, also helps to keep the house warm by passive solar heat gain, making for low heating costs (its Building Energy Rating of C3, comparable to many much more recently built houses, does not tell the whole story). At the rear, there are two glass-roofed triangular bays to take advantage of the sun and the views. The sense of light and space is enhanced by the use of light-coloured internal timber to ceilings, floors and vertically boarded doors, set against the white walls. Extensive use of subtly coloured high quality ceramic tiling reinforces the overall impression of quality and attention to detail.

The accommodation includes a large living room (the whole of the original croft!) with south and west light and access to the rear deck, and with a stair up to a cosy mezzanine study (views of Bantry Bay), a kitchen/dining room which catches the morning and mid-day sun, plus a good-sized utility room with storage facilities for recycling. The rest of the house includes a family bathroom-cum-cloakroom incorporating a sunken bath/showering area with glazed roof, and three good bedrooms, the master having en suite facilities, built-in wardrobe and a convenient dressing table recess which, like the en-suite, also has a glazed roof.  The smallest bedroom has space for a single bed at ground level, and a ladder to a platform bed tucked over the built-in wardrobe. Add to this, lots of storage space, including a coats cupboard with sliding door, an airing cupboard in the utility room, a deep storage cupboard next to the bathroom, a spacious attic store with window and fold-away stair over the third bedroom, and more long-term roof storage space over the utility room.  There are also three external storage cupboards, and a garden shed.

The house has full central heating from a combination oil-fired boiler (instant hot water), with thermostatic valves on all radiators. Both bathroom and en suite have heated towel rails and thermostatic showers. Further evidence of attention to detail is the heating pipe which runs along the bottom of the roof glazing in the entrance lobby, bathroom, en suite and dressing table alcove, to minimise any condensation. All of the pipe-work is concealed, there being countertop basins with useful storage below, and WCs with concealed cisterns.

There is a parking/turning space (grass paved) at the side of the house, and further parking for three cars in a layby on the other side of the very quiet country lane (which turns into a track, part of the Beara Way, a few hundred yards further on - ideal for dog walking!).

The photographs give some idea, but the reality is so much better. This house really has to be viewed!