Foxrock/4m:Lavish homes in a peaceful enclave in south County Dublin still command top prices. Orna Mulcahy,Property Editor, reports
The traffic police are out in Foxrock, with new double yellow lines along Westminster Road and Brighton Road making life difficult for those who simply want to dash in for a coffee at The Gables, pick up a case of wine, drop off their drycleaning or do some genteel shopping at the greengrocers.
The neighbourhood has kept its village feel and you get the sense that everyone knows each other around here, but something has to be done about the traffic with bumper-to-bumper parking along Brighton Road - Foxrock tractors competing for space with builders' vans as more and more properties are renovated and developed.
Drive on a little further and you hit Carrickmines, a far more peaceful place where houses are surrounded by generous gardens behind electronically-controlled gates.
It's just a short drive, either to Foxrock crossroads, or in the other direction to Cabinteely or Deansgrange, where a similarly village-like atmosphere prevails.
Brennanstown Road is the premier address, and just off it is Brennanstown Vale, an enclave of large and imaginatively designed houses set in lavish grounds.
New to the market here is Belvoir, a large villa-style house on three-quarters of an acre of grounds.
The five-bedroom house is for sale by private treaty through Daphne L Kaye & Asssociates with a price tag of €4 million .
It's in immaculate condition having been redecorated and refurnished for the selling campaign which kicks off this week.
The 300sq m (3,250sq ft) interior has been kitted out with the kind of pale French-style furnishings that househunters must be familiar with by now, but the main attraction of the property is its location, space and privacy.
The large tree-lined garden stands on an impressive corner site, with a sunny orientation, that might offer some scope for development further down the line.
The house is slightly elevated, with two sets of drive-in gates and plenty of parking and a garage.
The living space includes a big airy hallway with an open fireplace and a gallery landing overhead.
There's a 20ft drawingroom, a conservatory-style diningroom and an attractive country-style kitchen with hand-painted units and Amtico flooring.
There is also a study and two bedrooms on the ground floor.
Upstairs, a large entertainment room has a vaulted timber ceiling, a bar and French doors to a balcony overlooking the garden.
There are two further en suite bedrooms, and a large main bedroom suite with dressingroom and bathroom.