It's first-come-first-served with no pre-launch bookings as the latest phase of the popular Ridgewood development on Forrest Road, Swords, Co Dublin goes on the market this morning. Hooke & MacDonald will be selling 61 two, three and four-bed houses out of the 87 in this phase. Prices range from £157,000 (€198,015) for 775 sq ft two-bed townhouses to £258,000 (€327,590) for 1,420 sq ft four-bed detached houses. Ridgewood is one of those schemes with a good variety of house types which have attracted a strong "word-of-mouth" following. Imaginative planting, with enclosed communal gardens, is a particular feature which creates a pleasing intimacy on the large site.
Ridgewood is accessed off the Belfast Road, on the airport side of Swords, with an entrance opposite Forrest Little Golf Club. Developed by the McKeon family's MKN Property group, earlier phases of the site are maturing well. This is high-density housing - 22 units to an acre in some cases - but the abundance of open green space belies that impression. Features at Ridgewood include sensibly-sized kitchen/breakfastrooms, bay windows and solid timber window frames in the townhouses. Completions will be from May to September of this year. There are 21 of the smallest 755 sq ft two-bed townhouses for sale from £157,500 (€198,015). Eleven three-bed end-of-terrace townhouses of 1,010 sq ft cost from £167,950 (€213,250); 14 three-bed semis of 1,150 sq ft are from £179,950 (€228,490); 13 four-bed semis of 1,220 sq ft are priced from £194,950 (€247,540) and two 1,420 sq ft four-bed detached houses are from £258,000 (€327,590). Enclosed rear patios of the two and three-bed townhouses open on to an enclosed communal garden. Inside the townhouses, sittingrooms are good-sized and kitchen/diningrooms have maple units and plenty of space for a table by the window. Upstairs, there are two fair-sized double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes and a bathroom in between. Good quality cream wall tiling in kitchens and bathrooms is included.
Three-bedroom townhouses have the benefit of extra width, with a much larger kitchen/diningroom. The third bedroom in the showhouse has been presented as a home office. As with most new developments, the Ridgewood showhouses have many useful decorating ideas to maximise space, such as simple colour schemes and clever use of grooved MDF wall panelling. The semi-detached and detached houses are grouped differently, although these will have communal gardens in addition to enclosed front and rear landscaped lawns. Curved brick perimeter walls separating them from the townhouses avoid a squared-off look. They have a traditional layout, with interconnecting sitting and dining rooms and large kitchens with a breakfast nook overlooking the back garden. Kitchen cupboard doors are solid wood and, as with the smaller houses, good quality wall tiling is included. Main bedrooms are en suite with a separate shower.
Some larger four-bed semis and both of the detached houses have converted garages, providing an extra sittingroom and a very large fitted utility room off the kitchen. These are on wider sites and are at the top of the price range - about £22,000 (€27,930) more than the regular house types.
