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Cottage life offers chance to own some local history

Often deceptively spacious and always full of character, Eimear McGovern discovers the charms of such properties currently for sale

Attractive: Beechdale Cottage, is on the market for £219,050. The house adjoins the old schoolhouse with a high end turnkey finish

5 Arthur Street in Hillsborough is selling for £170,000

Eden Cottage, 19 Pine Hill in Lisburn, is on the market for offers around £330,000

10 Gilnahirk Road, Belfast, a terraced cottage, is being sold for offers around £145,000

Attractive: Beechdale Cottage, is on the market for £219,050. The house adjoins the old schoolhouse with a high end turnkey finish

5 Arthur Street in Hillsborough is selling for £170,000

Eden Cottage, 19 Pine Hill in Lisburn, is on the market for offers around £330,000

10 Gilnahirk Road, Belfast, a terraced cottage, is being sold for offers around £145,000

Attractive: Beechdale Cottage, is on the market for £219,050. The house adjoins the old schoolhouse with a high end turnkey finish

Eimear McGovern Twitter Email

May 28 2021 09:39 PM

The quintessential cottage can have serious appeal when combined with modern conveniences — and even the chance to own a piece of local history.

Many properties now arriving on the market are newer and more spacious but cottage life across the island holds a certain amount of charm and commands significant interest amongst buyers.

That’s certainly the case with several cottages up for sale in Northern Ireland, where you’re never too far from a town centre which allows for the chance to combine country living with accessibility.

One such example is Eden Cottage, 19 Pine Hill in Lisburn which is being sold by Falloon Estate Agents for offers around £330,000.

The exterior of the property belies both its proximity to Lisburn itself, which is about two miles away, and the space offered within courtesy of a two-storey extension hidden behind the thatched roof of the Grade B2 listed original cottage.

The extension was added in 1998 and melds the old and new in a very appealing way that stays true to the cottage’s roots, according to estate agent Ed Falloon. The original cottage was also restored at the time of the extension, which has a slate roof. “The living accommodation, the kitchen, family room and dining room are fairly large and square shaped as part of the original cottage and then the bedroom accommodation is part of the modern new-build section,” he said.

Eden Cottage features a large dining kitchen, dining room with a Fatso stove, a reception lounge with open fire, four bedrooms and shower room. Central heating comes from a Stanley oil fired range cooker and the property is also double glazed.

It’s deceptively spacious and includes mature gardens for those with a passion for the outdoors, several outside stores and feature monkey puzzle trees. There’s also privacy from neighbours, despite shared external access to the property next-door via a tarmac driveway and parking.

It’s a specific type of buyer who would be interested in Eden Cottage who might want to be close to the motorway network but is also seeking a quiet and idyllic country setting. “Quirky is probably the type of word you’d use,” said Mr Falloon.

“They’re going to want something a bit different you can’t find in a development, they don’t want a neighbouring house that mirrors exactly what they’ve got — it has to be unique and completely different and include that bit of character.”

That’s something that’s also offered by 30B Manse Road in Crossgar, on the market for £219,050 by Quinn Estate Agents in Downpatrick.

Known locally as Beechdale Cottage, the house adjoins the area’s old schoolhouse and has retained an attractive stone-fronted finish, lovingly maintained by the current owners.

Within the cottage, there is an attractive and fresh high-end, turnkey finish with modern conveniences which would be attractive for buyers who want to move in straight away and add their stamp to this property.

There are two bedrooms, with a master en-suite, a modern fitted kitchen and a sizeable living room, plus the opportunity to extend into the loft and add three further rooms subject to planning permission if more space is required.

Estate agent Edel Curran said the cottage provides easy access to the main commuter routes towards Belfast and other town centres but would also offer the opportunity to work from home in a “peaceful area with a country feel”.

“There really is such character in this property,” she said.

“An awful lot of people are now looking for the outdoor space they’ve found they needed in lockdown.

“If you’re working from home, it’s the same four walls day in and day out, houses like this have lovely courtyard areas and gardens.

“We’ve had a lot of people who have moved from cities because they have flexibility around work or don’t need to travel as much,” she said.

In Hillsborough, the Tudor-style 5 Arthur Street is also on the market with Quinn Estate Agents in Banbridge for £170,000.

A Grade II listed terrace, it dates back to the mid 1800s and includes many restored period features restored by the current owners.

An extension at the rear has created enough space to add two bedrooms and a lounge leading to an open-plan kitchen with fitted kitchen units and appliances. There’s also on-street parking and private access to the rear of the property nestled in the village of Hillsborough.

And in Belfast, a terraced cottage being sold by John Minnis Estate Agents at 10 Gilnahirk Road for offers around £145,000.

The quaint home has two bedrooms, a conservatory and an enclosed rear courtyard for outdoor entertaining, having been well cared-for by the current owners.

It also has gas-fired central heating, driveway parking and the benefit of proximity to local shops and Ballyhackamore village from its location just off the King’s Road.

Cottage life offers chance to own some local history

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