Yet another of Northumberland Road's Victorian redbrick houses is on the market. Number 78, a private house with its original garden and mews, is expected to fetch over £1 million at auction through David Gill & Associates on November 4th. In the last year, no less than six houses on Northumberland Road have changed hands - private residences, offices and guest houses - for prices ranging from £1 million to £1.5 million.

Number 78 is a large semidetached house with a 165 ft long garden and coach-house backing on to Lansdowne Park. It has been in the same family for around 90 years and is now in need of considerable refurbishment. It would make a very good family home with income potential from the mews. Alternatively, it could convert to offices, apartments or an embassy residence. The semi-detached house is on almost one-quarter of an acre. It has five bedrooms, two reception rooms and a total floor area of 3,000 sq. ft. The coach-house is just over 800 sq. ft and has a secure parking area.

The garden-level kitchen has its original cast-iron cooker - an Eagle range made by Maguire & Catchell of Dublin. This gives a hint of the many period features that are intact throughout the house, including windows and working shutters, ornate cornices and ceiling roses, picture rails and dado rails. Even a service bell is in working order.

Upstairs, the high-ceilinged hallway is lit by glass panels around the door as well by windows on the turn of the stairs. The cornice-work and centre roses both here and in the drawing-room are highly decorative. The drawing-room is to the right and has a deep bay window and its original white marble fireplace. The dining-room is to the rear and has another white marble fireplace and a window overlooking the garden. Next to the dining-room is a pantry and, beyond this, a guest lavatory with wash-hand basin.

The stairs, with its elegantly curved banister, leads to the four first-floor bedrooms. The main bedroom is to the front and has two sash windows as well as a fireplace in russet marble with curved, cast-iron inset. The original floorboards have been painted black, there is a wash-hand basin - and the working service bell.

A second front bedroom has a shuttered and sash window, a marble fireplace, wooden floorboards and a wash-hand basin.

The other two bedrooms are to the rear. One has a black/ green marble fireplace with a cast-iron inset. A short flight of steps leads to a return where there is a bathroom with chain flush lavatory and a wash-hand basin.

The garden level is warren-like and needs most work. There is a store room and small wine cellar. A short corridor leads to the fifth bedroom. There is also a study or sixth bedroom at this level, along with the kitchen.

The coach-house has two rooms and eaves storage on the first floor. It opens to a parking area with direct access to Lansdowne Park.