Photograph 1 of 67 of White Mountain Forge Smarmore, Ardee, Louth
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White Mountain Forge Smarmore, Ardee, LouthA92EA37

€495,000

5 Bed~5 Bath~457 m²~BER D2

What you'll like:

  • Vast Floor Area: The main stone-built residence spans an impressive 457 square metres, offering exceptional interior space that easily accommodates large families and multiple living zones.
  • Separate Guest Apartment: A standalone 620-square-foot apartment provides fantastic independent accommodation for extended family members, visitors, or potential rental income generation.
  • Substantial Detached Garage: The property includes a large 500-square-foot detached garage, delivering abundant secure storage space and excellent workshop capabilities for hobbyists or trades.
  • Character Stone Exterior: Traditional stone-built architecture provides remarkable curb appeal and enduring visual charm, distinguishing the property from standard contemporary suburban builds.
  • Generous Room Proportions: Major rooms like the 8.0m by 5.0m sitting room ensure comfortable everyday living and effortless hosting of large gatherings.
  • Multiple En-Suite Bathrooms: With five bathrooms in total including three en-suites, morning routines for a large household will run smoothly without bathroom congestion.
  • Dedicated Home Office: A specific ground-floor workspace caters perfectly to modern remote-working lifestyles, keeping professional duties separate from family relaxation areas.
  • Bright Conservatory Extension: A well-positioned conservatory connects the interior living spaces directly to the mature gardens, flooding the home with natural sunlight.
  • Classic Aga Cooker: The expansive kitchen features a traditional Aga alongside modern appliances, serving as a warm and functional focal point for culinary enthusiasts.
  • Solid Timber Finishes: High-quality solid wood flooring throughout major reception areas adds lasting durability, warmth, and timeless aesthetic elegance to the home.
  • Double Glazed Windows: Fitted uPVC double-glazed doors and windows help improve internal thermal retention and reduce exterior noise infiltration across the house.
  • Mature Private Gardens: Set on a peaceful L-shaped site exceeding half an acre, the meandering tree-lined grounds offer a tranquil and private outdoor sanctuary.
  • Paved Courtyard Parking: An attractive paved entrance area and extensive courtyard circulation space easily accommodates parking for five or six vehicles simultaneously.
  • Fibre Broadband Readiness: The location benefits from proximity to the national high-speed broadband rollout scheme, ensuring reliable connectivity for remote workers.
  • Strategic N2 Access: Situated within a manageable driving distance from Collon, the location offers convenient commuter access to Dublin via the major N2 corridor.
  • Affordable Square Footage: The low cost per square foot relative to the asking price represents remarkable value for buyers seeking maximum space for their budget.
  • Dual Heating Capabilities: The separate apartment features dual heating systems and an insert stove, ensuring comfortable independent climate control during colder months.
  • Versatile Studio Potential: The self-contained dwelling can easily double as a private gym, creative studio, or quiet retreat depending on the buyer's specific lifestyle needs.
  • Peaceful Hamlet Setting: Located in a quiet rural village hamlet, residents enjoy a serene countryside atmosphere completely removed from heavy urban congestion.
  • Stable Asking Price: Recorded listing history indicates the asking price has remained stable at €495,000, suggesting a consistent seller stance without sudden volatility.

But keep in mind:

  • Poor Energy Rating: The property carries a disappointing D2 BER rating, which indicates suboptimal thermal efficiency and likely higher-than-average home heating bills.
  • Planning Permission Caveat: The agent explicitly notes a lack of formal planning permission for the apartment conversion, requiring thorough legal diligence regarding enforcement immunity.
  • Onsite Septic System: Reliance on a private septic tank requires professional inspection to verify current environmental compliance, capacity, and ongoing maintenance history.
  • High Retrofit Costs: Bringing a sprawling 457-square-metre structure up to modern energy efficiency standards could involve substantial capital expenditure for insulation and heating upgrades.
  • Rural Maintenance Demands: Managing a half-acre L-shaped mature garden and large stone-built estate demands significant ongoing physical upkeep and property maintenance effort.
  • Potential Septic Upgrades: Older rural drainage systems often fail modern percolation tests, meaning buyers should budget for potential tank replacement or remediation works.
  • High Heating Demands: Powering radiators across a massive footprint with older systems could prove expensive, especially given the low D2 energy performance rating.
  • Isolated Village Location: White Mountain Cross is a very small hamlet with limited local amenities, requiring car journeys for daily shopping, schools, and services.
  • Roof and Stonework Checks: The traditional stone construction requires careful structural survey checks to ensure exterior pointing and roof timber integrity remain sound.
  • Window Seal Degradation: Double glazing units should be professionally evaluated for misting or seal failure, as replacement across such a large home is costly.
  • Plumbing Complexity: Five bathrooms, multiple kitchens, and extensive utility setups mean a complex plumbing network that requires detailed professional inspection before purchase.
  • Electrical System Age: Buyers must verify whether the internal wiring of this expansive older residence complies with current electrical safety standards and regulations.
  • Enforcement Risk Uncertainty: While historic conversion is claimed, the lack of an official planning warranty leaves a small lingering legal risk regarding local authority actions.
  • Commuting Distance Reality: While near the N2, daily peak-hour commutes into central Dublin from this rural Louth address can be lengthy and weather-dependent.
  • Appliance Lifespan Risks: Included legacy appliances like oil burners and range cookers should be inspected for remaining operational lifespan and servicing history.
  • Surface Water Drainage: Buyers should investigate site drainage across the half-acre plot to ensure heavy rainfall does not cause pooling around the courtyard.
  • Limited Public Transport: The rural hamlet setting lacks robust public transport links, making the property entirely dependent on private vehicle use.
  • Insulation Deficits: Large stone buildings without modern cavity walls often suffer from cold bridging, making targeted internal or external insulation essential.
  • Future Expansion Limits: Given the already extensive footprint and planning complexities on the site, securing permission for further structural additions might prove difficult.
  • Resale Buyer Pool: The niche appeal of a very large rural property with unverified apartment conversion status could potentially narrow the future buyer pool.

Price positioning

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This comparison depends on limited public and listing evidence, which may be incomplete, outdated or not directly comparable. The score is not a percentage, professional valuation or guaranteed estimate. Ask an independent qualified valuer before relying on a property value.
The asking price looks slightly undervalued compared with the available evidence.
  • The asking price appears somewhat undervalued given the exceptionally large floor area of over 4,500 square feet, coupled with a separate apartment and detached garage on a half-acre site in a rural location.
  • Valuation signals are driven by the massive square footage and secondary outbuildings, though tempered by a moderate D2 energy rating and potential planning ambiguity regarding the current conversion status of the separate residential unit.
  • Such a pricing strategy could be supported by strong buyer demand for multi-generational spaces and rural lifestyle properties, whereas factors like required energy upgrades and planning clarifications could potentially undermine the final transaction value.
  • Relevant considerations include the property history showing no price adjustments since initial listing, pointing to a firm vendor stance that reflects underlying transactional benchmarks found in the surrounding regional market.

Build Analysis

What we know from similar construction types

  • The main dwelling is a substantial stone-built property spanning approximately 457 square meters, featuring a detached garage of around 500 square feet and a separate apartment of approximately 620 square feet.
  • The listing notes that the property does not currently have planning permission for its conversion into an apartment, meaning buyers should investigate its legal and planning status thoroughly with a solicitor and planning adviser.
  • Given that the property relies on a septic tank and oil-fired central heating, a buyer should inspect the condition, capacity, and regulatory compliance of these private services.
  • The large scale of the combined structures, including extensive stonework and multiple outbuildings, requires a comprehensive structural survey to assess general maintenance needs and the condition of the double-glazed windows, conservatory, and roof structures.

Retrofit Cost*

Possible renovating / insulating expenditure

  • Estimated deep-retrofit cost: €50,000 to €80,000.
  • Reasoning: The property has a D2 BER rating, indicating poor energy efficiency and significant heat loss across its large 457 square meter footprint. Bringing the main residence and secondary structures to a modern B-rating standard would require substantial insulation upgrades to the walls and roof spaces, window and door improvements, and likely a heating system overhaul beyond the existing oil burner.

Heating cost*

Estimated expense to heat this property every year

  • Estimated annual heating cost: approximately 3,500 euro to 4,800 euro.
  • Explanation: Given the D2 BER rating and the very large 457 square meter floor area of the main residence combined with oil-fired central heating and an Aga, heating demands will be substantial.

Pollution Safe

8/10

Environmental situation to investigate

  • The property is situated in a quiet rural setting in Smarmore, appearing well removed from major industrial plants, heavy manufacturing, or large-scale waste facilities.
  • Any prospective buyer should independently verify local agricultural runoff or the long-term status of private onsite wastewater treatment systems like septic tanks.

Flood Safe

8/10

Water overflow reports to follow up

  • The surrounding countryside setting is elevated away from major coastal flood zones, suggesting a generally low baseline risk of widespread river or tidal flooding.
  • Buyers should review local drainage patterns and consult official flood maps during their due diligence to confirm localized surface water behavior.

Recent Local Sales

Verified residential transactions published in the previous five years

Sales on the same street or estateExtra effort was used to find nearby sales here

  • UPPER DRAKESTOWN LANE, SMARMORE, ARDEE

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €775,000.00
  • SMARMORE, ARDEE, CO.LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €620,000.00
  • SMARMORE, ARDEE, LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €442,000.00
  • WHITE MOUNTAIN COTTAGE, SMARMORE, ARDEE

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €413,000.00
  • SMARMORE, ARDEE, LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €495,000.00

Recent sales in the wider Ardee area

  • 109 ROCKFIELD CLOSE, ARDEE, LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €360,000.00
  • 45 DE LA SALLE CRESCENT, ARDEE, LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €257,000.00
  • 6 ROCKFIELD CLOSE, ARDEE, LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €327,500.00
  • STONEY LANE, ARDEE, LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €380,000.00
  • 69 CHERRYBROOK, ARDEE, LOUTH

    Sale date
    Declared sale price
    €350,000.00

Source: Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), Residential Property Price Register (PPR). Matching uses address information published by the PPR rather than measured map distance. It may omit nearby properties on differently named streets.

Last Sale

A confidently matched previous PPR transaction for this property

No confidently matched previous sale was found in the Property Price Register.

Buyer fees*

Associated expenses guide

  • Estimated stamp duty: €4,950 — 1% of €495,000.
    ?
    Based on the asking price shown on this page, using standard residential stamp-duty rates. No adjustments are made for VAT, reliefs, mixed-use property or additional land. The final purchase price and your circumstances may change the amount payable.
  • Solicitor legal fees: approximately 2,000 euro to 4,500 euro depending on the practice and complexity of conveyancing.
  • Land registration fees: approximately 600 euro to 800 euro based on property value.
  • Property valuation fees: approximately 150 euro to 300 euro for a standard mortgage or market valuation.
  • Surveyor fees: approximately 800 euro to 1,500 euro given the large floor area and detached structures.
  • Annual home insurance: approximately 700 euro to 1,200 euro depending on cover levels and the rural location.

Forum Talk

What people are saying about this area

  • Local discussions highlight the peaceful rural charm of the Smarmore and White Mountain areas near Ardee, offering a tranquil country lifestyle.
  • Residents frequently discuss the convenience of the N2 corridor for commuting to Dublin and surrounding major towns from the Ardee and Collon localities.
  • Community forums often touch upon rural infrastructure updates, including the rollout of high-speed fibre broadband to enhance connectivity for home workers.
  • Local commentary occasionally notes the importance of private services such as septic tanks and oil-fired central heating for rural properties in this part of County Louth.

LifeFit Assessment

How well this property may suit your lifestyle

Family

7 areas
  • Young Children

    The property offers plenty of space with 5 bedrooms and mature gardens, making it a wonderful environment for young children to play safely outdoors.

    8/10
  • Teenagers

    The separate 620 sq ft apartment provides an ideal independent space for teenagers or guests, offering excellent privacy within the property.

    9/10
  • Multi-generational Living

    With a 5-bed main residence and an additional self-contained one-bedroom apartment, this home is exceptionally well-suited for multi-generational living.

    10/10
  • Single Buyers

    At 4,919 sq ft with an additional apartment and garage, the sheer scale and maintenance requirements may be overwhelming and costly for a single buyer.

    3/10
  • Couples

    Couples who enjoy lots of space and hosting visitors will find plenty of room, though heating and maintaining such a large footprint might exceed typical needs.

    6/10
  • Empty Nesters

    The property offers great potential for empty nesters who want to host visiting family in the separate apartment, though downsizing might eventually appeal more.

    7/10
  • Retirees

    While the peaceful country setting is appealing for retirement, the large multi-story layout and extensive grounds require ongoing upkeep that may become demanding.

    5/10

Work

3 areas
  • Remote Working

    The property includes a dedicated office/home-working space and is ready to connect to high-speed fibre broadband via the national rollout.

    10/10
  • Hybrid Commuting

    Good access to Dublin via the N2 makes hybrid commuting feasible, though journey times will depend heavily on traffic and exact office locations.

    7/10
  • Retired

    The tranquil setting suits retirement, though the physical maintenance of a large stone-built home and extensive grounds should be considered.

    6/10

Practical

8 areas
  • Ageing in Place

    While ground-floor bedrooms offer some convenience, the sprawling multi-story layout and extensive property maintenance present challenges for long-term ageing in place.

    5/10
  • Low Maintenance

    A 4,919 sq ft stone-built home, a separate apartment, a detached garage, and large mature gardens require significant ongoing upkeep.

    3/10
  • Secure Gated Entry

    The property features a paved entrance to a courtyard with ample parking, though buyers should verify existing security gate installations.

    5/10
  • Minimalist Design

    The property features traditional stonework, solid timber flooring, and classic character rather than a sleek, minimalist aesthetic.

    2/10
  • Flexible Floor Plans

    The inclusion of a separate 620 sq ft apartment, a 500 sq ft garage, and multiple reception rooms offers exceptional layout flexibility.

    9/10
  • Heritage Home

    The stone-built construction and traditional character elements give the home a distinct historic and charming cottage-forge feel.

    8/10
  • Ecological Setup

    The home features traditional oil heating and a septic tank system, meaning buyers should investigate upgrades for a more modern ecological setup.

    5/10
  • Outdoor areas

    The property sits on an L-shaped site of over half an acre with tree-lined meandering gardens, a conservatory, and a paved courtyard.

    9/10

Interests

9 areas
  • Gardening

    The property features an L-shaped site of over half an acre with an attractive and meandering garden about 49 metres long.

    9/10
  • Walking

    The quiet country roads surrounding the property offer pleasant environments for leisurely walks and hikes.

    7/10
  • Gym

    The detached garage or the separate apartment provides ample space to set up a private home gym.

    7/10
  • Cycling

    The rural setting allows for road cycling on country lanes, though lack of dedicated bike paths requires caution with traffic.

    6/10
  • Golf

    While general regional access exists, buyers should verify the exact distance to the nearest golf courses from this rural location.

    5/10
  • Fishing

    Local fishing opportunities would need to be independently investigated, as the immediate property is landlocked in a rural area.

    4/10
  • Horse Riding

    The rural setting and expansive outdoor space on the half-acre site could easily appeal to equestrian enthusiasts seeking nearby hacking routes.

    7/10
  • Water Sports

    Being situated inland in Co. Louth means water sports facilities are not readily accessible nearby.

    2/10
  • Entertaining

    With a massive sitting room, a bright conservatory, an impressive kitchen with an Aga, and a separate apartment for guests, this home is built for entertaining.

    10/10

Lifestyle

5 areas
  • Quiet Living

    Nestled in a peaceful and picturesque country setting in White Mountain, this home delivers a distinctly quiet and serene lifestyle.

    10/10
  • Rural Living

    Located in a small mini village hamlet surrounded by mature tree-lined gardens and countryside, this is a quintessential rural property.

    10/10
  • Village Living

    Situated near White Mountain Cross, the location offers a small community hamlet feel while remaining largely rural.

    7/10
  • Coastal Living

    The inland rural location in County Louth provides no proximity or access to coastal amenities.

    1/10
  • Urban Living

    Far removed from city centers, this setting is entirely rural with limited local urban infrastructure nearby.

    2/10

Social

6 areas
  • Community Involvement

    The small hamlet setting encourages local community ties, though social options are largely centered around nearby towns rather than immediate village hubs.

    6/10
  • Café Culture

    Café culture is minimal in the immediate rural hamlet, requiring travel to nearby towns for local coffee shops.

    3/10
  • Nightlife

    Nightlife options are virtually nonexistent in this quiet rural pocket, requiring travel to larger urban centers.

    2/10
  • Health/Wellness groups

    Wellness groups are likely sparse locally, meaning residents would need to look toward larger neighboring towns for structured classes.

    4/10
  • Networking Opportunities

    Professional networking opportunities locally are limited given the rural context, though remote working connectivity helps bridge this gap.

    3/10
  • Tech-Hub Connectivity

    High-speed fibre broadband readiness via the national rollout provides strong digital connectivity despite the rural location.

    8/10

Listing information

Agent
Robt. B. Daly & Son Ltd.
Phone
041 983 8607
Current status
active
Published on HouseDelve
21 October 2026
Correction
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Property reference: HD-4E3D79HouseDelve · Republic of Ireland

Report checks

Sources used: Public marketplace, Property Price Register, and grounded web research where available.

Automated quality checks: Passed

Estimate — not advice. Actual costs and outcomes can vary materially. Obtain current quotations and professional advice before making financial or property decisions.