If you've decided to invest in transforming the outside of your home, then now is the best time of the year to get started. If you want to have your dream designer garden in place for the first signs of spring, planning it now means you can make the most of your new ‘outdoor room' during the summer months. Garden design has taken its place alongside the all-important interior of the home - not only to enhance the style and value of your property, but also for the many lifestyle advantages.

Address: 61 Meadow Park Avenue, Ballyvolane, Cork
Type: Four-bed semi detached
Note: Gas fired central heating
Contact: Michael O’Donovan, Sherry FitzGerald, 021-4273041, 086-8205474
Price: € 215,000

Address: 17 Beechwood Avenue, Cluain Ard, Cobh
Type: Four-bedroom townhouse
Note: Gas heating
Contact: Donal Collins, Global Properties Ltd, 087-9048344
Price: €220,000

Address: 27 Maulbaun, Passage West, Co. Cork
Type: Three-bedroom townhouse
Note: Oil fired central heating
Contact: Donal Collins, Global Properties, 021-4273038, 087-9048344
Price: €200,000

Address: 38 Old Court Greenfields, Ballincollig, Cork
Type: Three-bed detached
Note: Gas fired central heating
Contact: Con Nagel, Global Properties, 021-4877133
Price: €345,000

Address: Castleredmond House, Midleton, Co. Cork Type: Four-bedroom detached Note: Half-acre site Contact: Adrianna Hegarty, Hegarty Properties, 021-4639411 Price: €365,000

Now is the time of year for barbeques and outside parties. Between family, friends and their children the numbers quickly mount up and so you really do need to consider this when planning your garden layout. The average table and chair set on a patio has approximately 4 to 6 seats, so where does everybody else sit?

As well as being an idea for the world cup if you want to back a winner, looking to the Netherlands has also become the thing to do when it comes to mortgage proposal frameworks and planning legislation.

Bureaucracy often gets in the way of practical solutions. This is a common complaint and one that has repeatedly been bandied about when discussing the state of the Irish property market. With the huge numbers of people on social housing lists, people have been, understandably, looking at the equally large numbers of houses unoccupied all over the country making up ghost estates.

Address: Rosewell Lodge, Belvelly, Fota, Co. Cork
Type: Four-bedroom bungalow
Note: Separate apartment included
Contact: Olan Hodnett, Thomas J O’Driscoll & Associates, 021-4270435
Price: €370,000