There is good demand at present for rural houses on small parcels of land – it’s driven by scarcity of new houses and difficulties getting planning permission on a greenfield site.

Whether the house is a 'doer-upper' or a 'knocker', there will be interest.

Two such properties are for sale outside Mullingar, Co Westmeath, and will be offered at auction by James L Murtagh.

One is 8.5ac at Reynella, Mullingar. It is located just off the N52 and is 7km from Delvin and 13km from Mullingar.

It goes for auction on 25 November in the The Greville Arms Hotel (car park) and will also run on the LSL platform.

The land is elevated and free draining with no waste. It is laid out in two fields with mature hedging giving shelter. There is road frontage.

The house at Reynella has potential.

This house is single storey. It has hallway, sitting room, kitchen, three bedrooms. Septic tank, mains water. It is in need of refurbishment, but has potential.

The property will be offered for sale in one or more lots. Lot 1 will be the house on 0.55ac and Lot 2 will be 7.85ac. Lot 3 will be the entire.

The guide price is in excess €230,000 for the entire.

Surrounded by trees

The second small property is 12ac at Gibbonstown, Mullingar. It goes for auction on 24 November in the Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar, and on LSL.

Gibbonstown has charm and character.

The house is on an elevated site and surrounded by oak, beech and copper beech trees. The house is old style, with stone outbuildings, but is now in need of complete renovation.

It has a kitchen-living area, two ground-floor bedrooms and one dormer-style bedroom. The site has charm and character.

The land is laid out in three divisions, is all in grass and has no waste. This property has road frontage.

Planning permission was granted in 2009 for a 3,000-square-foot detached house (reference number 08/4203). However, that planning has since lapsed.

The land at Gibbonstown is good quality.

The property will be offered in one or more lots as follows: Lot 1 will be the house on 2.13ac; Lot 2: 10.14ac; and Lot 3 the entire.

Again, the guide price for the entire is in excess €230,000.

To find the property, from Mullingar take the N52 heading south towards Tullamore. At the fourth roundabout at Tullaniskey, take the second exit on to R394, then take the immediate left for Rochfortbridge on the R400.

Continue out that road for approximately 10km. The property will be on the right hand side identified by the auctioneers’ sign.