Good things come in small packages.

This old saying is especially true where Irish property is concerned; if you don’t need acres of space and you’re willing to volunteer a little elbow grease, there are plenty of cute and compact homes to choose from that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

If you yearn to trade city life for a vegetable patch and days spent making elderberry wine in your kitchen, now could be the right time to snap up a bargain and make the transition.

Here are three Cork country cottages that could easily be turned into your own rustic hideaway.

1. Tigin, Glen South, Banteer

Asking price: €90,000 

Set in an idyllic meadow with stunning views of the surrounding countryside, this charming cottage has a ton of potential for the right buyer – you can almost smell the oven-fresh apple tart cooling on the windowsill.

Located near the North Cork village of Banteer, about an hour from Cork City, the three-bedroom property sits on a large site with ample room for expansion.

On the ground floor, you’ll find a large living room with solid fuel stove, farmhouse wooden beams, a sunroom, kitchen/diner, a modern bathroom and bedroom. Upstairs there are two more attic style bedrooms with Velux windows.

2. Glasheen, Rockchapel, West Cork

Asking price: €50,000

If you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves for a bit of DIY, this could be your chance to own your own home in the countryside for less than the deposit on a suburban semi.

This two-bedroom detached property is a 10-minute drive from Newmarket and 8km outside of Rockchapel. It’s in need of complete renovation, but it sits on approximately tree-lined 0.7 acres with outbuildings that could be turned into a workshop or studio.

With a deposit of €5,000, your monthly mortgage repayments could be as low as €170 per month – not bad if you’re a whiz with a circular saw and a paintbrush.  

3. Gallows Hill, Leap, West Cork

Asking price: €99,000

Somebody’s already done the dirty work at this partially renovated two-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage on 0.75 acres in Leap.

A sturdy little house surrounded by a traditional stone wall, this is a property that could be easily finished by a DIY enthusiast in search of an affordable country getaway.

The elevated plot boasts a paddock and panoramic countryside views, all discreetly located about 1.5 miles north of Leap village, around one hour’s drive to Cork city.