£168,500 holiday bungalows in Ashford come with added bonus of tax concessions

Houses in Belair Village, Ashford, Co Wicklow, a development of 20 semi-detached dormer bungalow holiday homes in the grounds of the Belair Hotel, go on sale this weekend with prices ranging from £168,500 to £175,000. Already, 11 homes have been sold in the development, which is being built in the former walled orchard of the estate.

Of the remaining nine, two homes are priced at £168,500, with seven others, including one with wheelchair access, at £175,000. According to agents the Phillips Partnership, the price differential is due to location: the £175,000 homes have a higher elevation with front-facing rural and sea views. The complex represents an investment opportunity as part of the tourism incentive package to provide more quality bed space for visitors in Co Wicklow.

Belair Village is in the process of being Bord Failte registered to provide for shortterm tourist related use - this means that the homes cannot be sold to owner-occupiers. It is anticipated that about 87 per cent of the net purchase price will qualify for capital allowance, which can be set off against the rental income. Purchasers will also qualify for a tax allowance regarding fixtures and fittings.

The houses are due to be finished early in August, and the letting and management of them will be handled by the Belair Hotel. The development will be completed in early August.

Grouped round a central landscaped area on a 2.5-acre site within the old mellow redbrick orchard walls, the elevated site offers wonderful views over the north Wicklow countryside, with Brittas Bay sparkling away in the distance. The rear gardens are communal, and there is dedicated parking at the entrance to the development.

The 1,100 sq ft houses are finished in traditional style. Ground-floor accommodation comprises sittingroom, kitchen/ breakfast room, diningroom (or third bedroom), and shower room. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms, one en suite and a family bathroom. Interior doors are in panelled pine and pine is also used in double-glazed windows, skirting boards and architraves.

The sittingroom has a wood-burning Stanley pot-bellied stove. Double doors open to a bright and airy kitchen/ breakfastroom, with pale walls and a Chinese slate floor. Wall and floor cupboards are in beech, and standard fittings include cooker with extractor hood, hob, washing machine, fridge and microwave. Sliding patio doors open on to a veranda with timber steps down to the landscaped communal garden. A third room off the hall could serve as a dining room, or given its situation next door to a shower room, it could be a third bedroom.

Both first-floor bedrooms have fitted wardrobes, attractive sloping eaves and Velux roof window to maximise the view. The main bedroom has an en suite shower room, and the family bathroom has a white three-piece suite and attractive tiling.