HAVE YOU EVER looked at the folded up drying rack and disused exercise equipment in your kitchen and thought – ‘how did it get like this?’.
This is not a problem the owners of this Georgian mansion in Wicklow have ever had. The house comes with six bedrooms set across two floors and extra living space at basement level.
This house has just under 20 rooms – some of which are designated as as ‘offices’ and ‘studies’.
It legitimately has a croquet lawn.
The property is made up of over 7,000 sq ft and is surrounded by mature woodlands. It is perched at a height to allow spectacular views of the Wicklow countryside.
Beside the main house, the asking price includes two additional houses – a two-bedroom guest house and a three-bedroom gate lodge.
The property is on the market at an eye-watering €3.5 million.
Now to be fair, a budget of €3.5 million would buy most houses around the country (probably twice over). But hey, it’s nice to dream sometimes, so here is our pick of properties for – *deep breath* – three and a half million euro.
Here’s what €3.5 million would get you around the rest of the country:
For €2,950,000 you could buy Mermaid Island in Co Kerry. The location of the property is named after a local legend that says mermaids and seal people are known to take shelter on the island (it is unclear if their presence has been quelled by anti-squatting legislation).
The inside of the house is fitted to a high specification and comes with six bedrooms and modern fittings throughout. A number of ornate features are present inside the home including Gothic doors, stained-glass windows and marble flooring.
The property is currently owned by a museum designer who has taken on a number of major refurbishment projects across the United States and Ireland.
The home also comes with a 700 sq ft guest cottage. It is a one-bedroom addition that comes with all its own facilities and appliances.
A major draw for this property is its waterfront location. It overlooks two tide pools regularly frequented by dolphins.
Fernhill House and Gardens, this mega-house on the edge of Dublin, dates back to 1723 and has a pricetag of €5 million (okay, that’s a jump of €1.5 million on the Wicklow property).
The house requires refurbishment and comes with around 26 rooms. Anyone considering this purchase would be taking on a significant project.
In the description of the property, it is claimed that on a clear day, the view from the house overlooks the Mourne Mountains in Co Down – a distance of over 100km.
In total the property is set in about 29.5 acres of its own land.
The property’s sizeable grounds are suitable for farming livestock and crops.
Something that sets this house and grounds apart is its distinctive heritage. The home has only had three owners since being built in 1723. For the first 200 years of its existence it belonged to the Darley family – who were renowned in the Dublin building trade.
Contained within the grounds are three further residential units. These are a garden cottage, a period lodge and a modern single-storey house.
It seems that once you get into a certain price range, country mansions come with a guaranteed level of historical significance. This 22,000 sq. ft. castle in Ardpatrick, Co Limerick is priced at €2,950,000, and was settled in 1658 by one of Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers, Captain Robert Oliver.
The castle was bought by its current owners in 2006 and has been in use as a family home over the past number of years.
This castle is a real winner if you’re into the whole fog-on-the-moors-and-gargoyles thing.
With 12 bedrooms and four reception rooms, the property is not short on space.
A unique selling point is that it is ideal as a hire venue for private parties and wedding events – a function utilised by the current owners.
Another mansion – this time in Drogheda, Co Meath. Mount Hanover House comes in remarkably good condition considering it was built over 300 years ago.
The house has recently been refitted with a high-spec modern finish, with six bedrooms set across three floors.
Built on a one-acre site – the property’s gardens have been designed and maintained to ensure that they have colour throughout the year.
The kitchen has a central island unit and comes with windows on both sides of the room – ensuring that light fills the space.
Yes, that is correct – it is indeed a swimming pool you see before you. The facility also comes with a sauna and changing rooms.
When you spend close to €2,850,000 on a house, you expect to get something a little bit different, and in this case, that something different is carpet in the main bathroom.
The room also comes with a large circular bath and bidet.
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