When searching for an apartment almost three decades ago, public servant Hugh Fahey had three requirements: an open fire, wooden floors and lots of light. He found that this apartment – which was converted 30 years ago – satisfied the list.

“The real reason I picked this place was for the light. Orientation is the one thing you cannot change about a property. Here the bedrooms – which are east facing – get the morning sun, while the living area and kitchen get the evening sun from the west. I had to put blinds in as at times there is just so much light coming through the large sash windows,” recalls Fahey, who has lived here for 29 years.

The open Portland stone fireplace, which is original to the property, was another reason for his choice, and will make this attractive for buyers as few modern apartments have open fires.

“I just love Christmas here, and over the years people have asked at Christmas drinks, ‘is it a real fire?’, as some people cannot get over the fact that an apartment has an open hearth.”

The 80sq m (861sq ft) apartment sits on the middle floor of this period house, giving generous ceiling heights of 2.95m.

Two bedrooms, both of which are doubles, look over the street, with the living space overlooking the rear garden.

One of the benefits of the apartment, besides its location in the much sought after Heytesbury Street beside Portobello, is the fact that the old carriage entrance to the side of the property provides secure parking (one space for each of the three apartments in the property) behind large gates. There is also on-street parking through the residents’ parking permit system.

Fahey is in the process of retiring to his native home in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, and has placed his apartment on the market through agent Felicity Fox seeking €445,000.