Can't find a large period house close to Dublin's city centre? One alternative is to view properties currently used as offices that are ripe for re-conversion to family homes.

Scores of redbrick houses in Dublin 4 and 6 are in office use, but with many small companies expanding and a large supply of out-of-town office developments due to come on stream this year, more inner city houses may be vacated and bought as homes.

Houses generally don't work well as offices but because of the shortage of modern office space over the last decade, commercial rents for Georgian and other period houses had soared. With the supply of modern offices now beginning to meet demand, some companies are relocating to purpose-built office accommodation freeing up city centre houses for residential use.

Two such properties come to the market this week, one at Leeson Park in Dublin 6, the other at 5 Percy Place, on the Grand Canal.