What will €495,000 buy in Swords and Connemara?

Town

Address: 4 Boroimhe Hawthorns, Swords, Co Dublin

Agent: DNG

Situated in a mature estate on the edge of the town this smart three-bedroom, two-bathroom semi-D has everything a family needs. Extending to 88 sq metres (947sq ft) the brick-fronted C2 Ber-rated house has a separate livingroom and eat-in kitchen, the latter spans the width of the property and it includes a utility room. The kitchen leads out to a granite-paved patio and the rest of the garden laid out in newly planted lawn. Upstairs there are two doubles; one of which has an ensuite, and a single. There is off-street parking to the front and pedestrian side access. Boroimhe Shopping Centre is one street away.

Plus: It is adjacent to a large green

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Minus: There isn’t a huge amount of scope to extend

Country

Address: Lake View Cottage, Callow, Roundstone, Connemara, Co Galway

Agent: O’Donnellan & Joyce

Set on the shores of Maumeen Lough, in Callow, about 8km beyond Roundstone in Connemara National Park, this property comprises two one-bedroom, one-bathroom stone-built cottages that date from the 1880s. The main house, which has a traditional red door and extends to 35 sq m (376 sq ft), opens into a vaulted-ceiling livingroom, where there is ladder access to a loft area. Its bedroom is to the right and the kitchen and bathroom are to the left. At the water’s edge, the guest cottage (28 sq m/301 sq ft) is a studio space with a separate bathroom. Framed by the Twelve Bens mountain range, the lake forms part of the Connemara bog complex special area of conservation. Some of the west’s most photographed beaches, Dog’s Bay and Gurteen, are only 5km away.

Plus: The traditional-style decor is charming

Minus: It has a G Ber