Earlier this summer, the For Sale board appeared outside number 10 Eaton Square, with an asking price of €1.1 million. Now a second house on this popular and quiet residential square in Monkstown has come to the market, and through the same agent, DNG.
Number 13 is a five-bedroom redbrick semi-detached house with an asking price of €1.2 million. The reason for the sale, as is often the case in this south Dublin suburb, is empty-nest syndrome. The owners, having reared their children, are downsizing but staying in the area.
The couple moved in just over 30 years ago. At the time, many of the houses were in flats and the square – a lovely small green space behind railings and with mature planting – was in a sorry state. Over time the residents got together, restored the square – which is jointly owned – and now maintain it through a small annual levy. It’s an ideal play area for children and for hosting Eaton Square residents’ events, such as a summer barbecue.
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Number 13 has two large interconnecting reception rooms; the front has a square bay and both have impressive period fireplaces. The house was built in 1910, so at hall level it has high ceilings and decorative plasterwork and overall it feels spacious.
Suntrap
The big renovation in this house took place in the late 1990s when the owners revamped the kitchen, opening it up to create a large eat-in space with a picture window and smart white units topped with granite.
They added a sunroom to the side, which opens out to the town garden at the back, which also got a major makeover – and one that has stood the test of time. Although modest in size, it is a lushly planted but low-maintenance suntrap. Most gardens in the area are small, according to the owners, and the square is where the children go out to play.
Even large period houses can be shy in terms of bedroom space but number 13 has five good bedrooms – four doubles and a large single. The house is three-storey at the rear, so the fifth bedroom, with an adjacent bathroom, is at the top of the house.
On the first floor is a small wc next to a small bathroom: separate rooms were the norm in houses built in the first half of the last century, but the rooms could be joined to create a large bathroom. The smallest bedroom is adjacent to the main bedroom, and in some houses this has been turned into a large en-suite or a dressing room.
The neat front garden is landscaped and planted for low maintenance.
