A refurbished lodge house near Emo in Co Laois could fetch in excess of £230,000 at auction through Jordan Auctioneers on July 23rd. The four-bedroom house, Ballycullane Lodge, is surrounded by two acres of grounds that include several useful outbuildings with potential for further development. Ballycullane Lodge is tucked away in the countryside near Emo Court and Gardens, six miles from Portlaoise and three miles from Portarlington. Tall chestnut trees stand on either side of the 19th century house and the view to the front is over acres of farmland.

The yellow-painted house is entered through a recessed porch floored in terracotta tiles that continue through into the hallway. It is a big bright hall with reception rooms on either side. The drawing room is a sizeable room with stripped pine floor, marble mantelpiece and original ceiling cornices and working shutters.

The dining room is larger still and also has a period-style fireplace. Leading off the rear hall is a bathroom with walk-in hot press. The surprise at the back of the house is the 31-ft kitchen-cum-dining room with high vaulted ceiling and French doors leading to an enclosed garden that is mostly in lawn. It has a good range of pine fitted units and a solid fuel stove.

Off the kitchen is a big utility room, and there is also an office and a bedroom at this level. Upstairs, the main bedroom has an en suite shower room, while the remaining two bedrooms - both doubles - share the downstairs bathroom. A yard behind the house has several loose boxes and a stone barn. Most of the land is in two railed paddocks.

The house is in good order throughout having been very recently refurbished. While some period features have been retained, it is a shame that many of the windows are new PVC and not timber sashes in keeping with the age of the house.