As a result, families who are looking for more space and something of a more rural lifestyle have reacted very positively to The Paddocks, a development of 31 four-bed detached houses and bungalows on an eightacre site in the village of Kildangan, Co Kildare.

These homes, starting at 1,389 square feet and going up to 2,239 square feet, are priced between 440,000 and 550,000.

There are four house types, with the bungalows and twostorey stone-fronted house type D proving very popular.

Each property has a quarter-acre landscaped garden, with a large open space for children to enjoy in front of the houses.

"The beauty of the houses, ' says Maria Robinson, who is handling the sales for builders Balcon Developments, "is that these are almost turn-key properties which are ready to move into.

All the bedrooms have fitted mahogany wardrobes; the kitchens and doors are handmade in our workshops in Kilkenny and the tiles in the hall and kitchen as well as the appliances are included."

Accommodation varies depending on the house size and layout, but in the bungalows, there is a central hall with the kitchen and dining area to the right. This opens out onto the patio garden and has a utility room with a back door beside it. There is a separate sitting room with fireplace and then a bedroom wing with four bedrooms, en suite and a family bathroom.

The two-storey houses also have an open-plan kitchen and dining room with utility, a living room and two downstairs bedrooms with an en suite attached to the master bedroom. Upstairs are two more bedrooms and a family bathroom.

The finish outside is also luxurious and low maintenance . . . each house is faced with about 30,000 worth of stone, says Maria Robinson.

The gardens are landscaped front and back with a six-foot capped wall, cobblelock drive and parking for three cars.

Price: four-bed bungalows and houses (1,389 square feet to 2,239 square feet) 440,000 to 550,000.

Agent: Balcon Developments (056-8830771/087-0576670)