THE early 20th century chant of newspaper boys trying to hawk updated editions — “Extra, extra, read all about it!” — could be commandeered to describe the home featured here. Its owner splurged considerable amounts on fitting extras after buying it new in 2019. The owner’s plan was to make No.21 The Orchard in Watergrasshill’s Bishop’s Island her forever home, so she went well above the spec of what was on offer through the developer, David Hogan’s Prestige Homes. She spent over €20,000 on the sleek, solid ash kitchen, fitted with quartz countertops and additional under-counter lighting and sockets. A wine fridge and Belfast sink are included in the island unit. Flooring is porcelain tiles which continue, for uniformity, into the open plan dining area and adjoining utility. There’s a built-in coffee station and French doors to the rear patio — under a pergola — with surrounding lawn. “She upped the spec on pretty much everything,” says selling agent Adrianna Hegarty of Hegarty Properties, who provides more examples: The kitchen has a SMEG cooker, bespoke panelling adorns the walls in the living room, hall, stairs, and landing. Front windows on both floors have plantation shutters, as do all of the bedrooms (one of which has an en suite). The living room has a quartz fireplace surround, and the feature electric fire is app-controlled. Sanitary ware was upgraded. No 21 was a solid offering ever before any extras were added. Like all of the homes in the phased development on the fringes of Watergrasshill village, it comes with an impressive A2 energy rating, with an air-to-water heating system. For added comfort, there’s underfloor heating on the ground floor and windows and doors are triple glazed. Having put a lot into it, an opportunity to custom-build a home on a site proved too attractive to the owner and so her three-bed semi-d is up for sale. Ms Hegarty’s experience at The Orchard is that most of the homes there are owner occupied, often by local people who like the community spirit in the village and the ease with which Cork City is reached via the nearby Cork/Dublin M8 motorway, which will get you to the Dunkettle interchange in jig time. On day one of viewings earlier in the week, interest was good in this 118 sq m home, which Ms Hegarty is guiding at €380,000. She’s expecting enquiries from house hunters looking for an affordable family home not too far removed from the city, as well as from downsizers from the Watergrasshill area, who like the quality, comfort, and manageability of what’s on offer, as well as the estate’s walkability to the village centre, where O’Mahony’s pub is renowned for good food. A public bus service operates outside the development into Cork City. Travel time to the city by car is about 20 minutes. For access to secondary schools, Glanmire is about a 10-minute drive away and Fermoy is about 15 minutes by car. Watergrasshill village itself has a number of shops, bars, restaurants and a primary school, as well as soccer, GAA, and athletics clubs. VERDICT: Good value for a home not too far outside the city limits. Best-in-class energy rating means the buyer can qualify for more favourable green mortgage rates. Turnkey property.