Though it appears to be a new build, with crisp white render, contemporary grey windows and cladding, Crossbarry on St Fintan’s Road in Sutton dates from 1981 when it was an avant-garde split-level house designed by architects Keane Murphy Duff.
The current owners, Tony and Janet Wright, purchased the house in 2011 from Brian and Patricia Kearney, owners of the famous National Hunt horse Moscow Flyer.
Having moved back from Hong Kong to raise their children in Ireland, the Wrights engaged Peter Owens of Tyler Owens to change the property around.
"We really bought it for the views, although back then the site was quite overgrown with a massive amount of fuchsia, cotoneaster and brambles as thick as your arm," says Tony Wright.
Today the views are really one of the major selling points of the property, along with the fact that it has a sunny southwest aspect. Add to this six bedrooms and turnkey interiors, and the way that Peter Owen’s design made the views the focal point, where the main living areas and kitchen now overlook the sea.
“The sunsets are spectacular and you can literally pick out the seals on the end of Bull Island on a clear day,” says Wright.
The property now has a Ber of B3, which is an indication of the level of work carried out in the generous 306sq m (3,294sq ft) of floor space.
“We learnt a lot on the environmental front,” recalls Wright.
“The spray insulation went into the roof as it takes up such an enormous space, but also installing external cladding changed it from a cold home where you could literally feel the breeze flowing through to what it is now.”
He goes on to say that one of the biggest mistakes is when people try to insulate internally when there are radiators on the walls, as “it becomes a nightmare”, whereas with external cladding “you come along, just stick it on and apply the render”.
The property, which is 1.5km from Sutton Cross and 2km from the local Dart station, was placed on the market in 2014 when recession clouds still loomed.
“We didn’t put it on until October and it really wasn’t the right time to sell,” recalls Wright.
Since then the gardens have matured, and they have recently installed terraces. The couple have moved next door to a house they constructed when Crossbarry was being renovated and extended, so have placed their home on the market again. It is seeking the same price it was when listed eight years ago, namely €1.65m, this time through estate agent Sherry FitzGerald.
