The Dublin property market may be suffering from a case of the jitters but it's worth remembering just how good things have been for home owners over the last decade.
Take this terraced house at 21 Trafalgar Terrace in Monkstown, Co Dublin. When it last featured in the Property Supplement, in September 1993, selling agents Lisney were confident that it would fetch "over £200,000". In fact it made £262,000 under the hammer, which, at the time, was considered a strong price.
Now it's back on the market through Sherry FitzGerald with a price tag of £1.35 million (1.71m) giving the owners a potential £1 million (1.27m) tax free return on their eight-year investment.
Set in a cul-de-sac above the road, facing the sea, the cream stucco house was previously owned by notable conservation architect Chris Southgate and his wife Susan, who restored it to a meticulous standard.
Mr Southgate was particularly proud of the cornices and mouldings in the first floor reception rooms which he reckoned to be among the finest of their period in Dublin.
Other original details abound, including superb marble chimney-pieces, six-over-six paned windows with fine glazing bars and working shutters, matt varnished floorboards and a fine encaustic tile floor in the entrance hall.
The house has altered very little since then, though some rooms have been redecorated and the 100 ft sheltered back garden has been landscaped in a formal style with box edge borders.
Standing four-storey over basement (the top floor is concealed behind the parapet) number 21 has over 5,500 sq ft of space with soaring ceilings and a return that stretches beyond those of its neighbours.
The grand scale of the house is obvious in the basement where there are two large pantries and a walk-in cellar with original brick wine bins, as well as the large country-style kitchen with its flagstoned floor and Aga, and a large games room.
The current layout allows the owners to work from home with the hall level reception rooms given over to office and studio space.
Arear hallway leads to a large room with access to the garden. This could be a playroom or even a kitchen. The next return up has a handsome bathroom with a free standing bath, and a mirrored cupbard that hides a false door leading through to a guest bedroom with a solid fuel stove in one corner.
The first floor has a superb drawingroom with views across the water towards Howth.
High double doors open into a marvellously atmospheric diningroom with rust coloured walls rising to meet gorgeously intricate cornicing.
There is a sunny bedroom on the next return on the climb towards the two second floor bedrooms.
The bathroom on the next return has a free standing bathroom and a walk-in shower.
At the top of the house there is a large bedroom warmed by a cast-iron stove. A tiny box room could be converted to a bathroom.
