Buyers of these houses in Rathmines and Rathgar have had all the work done for them. Bernice Harrison reports
Rathmines/€1.75m: A double-fronted two-storey over basement house at 26 Maxwell Road in Rathmines is for auction through Douglas Newman Good on September 21st with an AMV of €1.75 million.
Being only one room deep, the period house is perhaps smaller inside than its imposing and handsome exterior might suggest - although it does have 173sq m (1,869sq ft) of space.
It has four bedrooms, two good-sized doubles upstairs, one with an en suite bathroom, and two small singles down at basement level.
The two reception rooms on either side of the hall both have tall windows looking out over both the front and back gardens and this gives them a light gracious atmosphere.
The rooms also have their original marble fireplaces, floorboards, shutters and decorative cornicework.
The eat-in kitchen is in the basement and it features the original red-tiled floor from 1855. It's traditional in style with painted timber units, exposed redbrick walls, an Aga and a Belfast sink. There's also a small utility room.
An en suite off one of the upstairs bedrooms is unusual in that it doesn't have a toilet - something new owners might want to remedy. It does have a freestanding period-style bath though, and is decorated - as is the rest of the house - in paint colours sympathetic to its age and style. There is a small shower room at the top of the house in a small return.
The present owners bought it nine years ago and renovated at the time, keeping as many period features as possible.
The house's period style, good proportions and proximity to both Rathgar and Rathmines will be the big selling points.
The south-facing garden features a stepped brick patio area as well as a lawned section.
It has a large double garage and there is vehicular access via a lane running along the back of the house. There is no off-street parking to the front - instead, the garden has its original railings.
Rathgar/€1m: An architect-designed kitchen with sleek fittings and lots of space is at the heart of a refurbished terraced house at 2 Wesley Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Set in a cul-de-sac near the village, the three-bedroom house ticks a lot of boxes: it's in a good location where there is little else to be had around in this price range; it's been restored with a good deal of taste as well as money and it has a reasonable amount of living space at 116sq m (1,253sq ft).
A landscaped town garden to the rear completes the package, while there is residents' parking in front of the house. It goes to auction through Douglas Newman Good on September 21st with an AMV of €1 million.
American oak floor throughout the ground floor lends a calm contemporary feel to the 1920s house. There's a comfortable sittingroom with an original marble fireplace, and a large open plan living-cum-diningroom that opens directly into the kitchen and also has tall patio doors to the garden. The kitchen comes complete with integrated appliances from Siemens and Bosch. There's a small utility area with direct access to the garden.
Upstairs, the two first floor bedrooms are light and airy doubles with polished floorboards and cast-iron fireplaces. They share a spacious bathroom decorated in a minimalist style. The top floor has a landing area that is used as an office along with a large attic bedroom which also has an original fireplace.
