Many house hunters in Dublin’s top locations may dream of rambling period houses, however the reality – often freezing wrecks in need of total refurbishment – renders them somewhat more nightmarish. The following are a selection of modern, three-storey family homes offering sizeable living accommodation in sought-after south Dublin locations.
3 The Court, Donnybrook Castle, Dublin 4
€895,000, Quillsen, 230sq m (2,476sq ft)
Donnybrook Castle is a gated Shannon Homes-built development located off the Stillorgan Road near RTE. The majority of homes in the development are apartments, however a number are houses, including six large Victorian-style homes. Number three, The Court is one such house, offering an abundance of space over three floors.
Much like the Victorian homes dotted across Donnybrook that inspired this home’s design, both the ground floor and hall level are laid out as living areas, with the bedrooms occupying the top floor.
Entering the house from the ground floor there is a small entrance hall, with a WC and utility room, and leading to the sizeable interconnecting livingroom and kitchen cum dining room.
The kitchen leads to a conservatory, which opens out to the rear garden. While limited in size, the garden offers a wonderful south-westerly orientation and is currently laid out in decking.
Upstairs there is another set of sizeable interconnecting reception rooms, along with a second guest WC. The top floor comprises four bedrooms, two of which feature en-suite bathrooms, and a family bathroom.
If there is any down side to this home, it is its decor. Little has changed since it was constructed two decades ago, and its interior is tired throughout and could benefit from updating.
When first launched in 1997, these houses cost over €600,000, and by 2000, this house was for sale seeking €1.27 million.
At its current asking price the house offers exceptionally good value, being the cheapest house per square metre in the Donnybrook/Ballsbridge area, at a very modest €3,890 per sqm.
16 Sunbury Park, Dartry, Dublin 6
€850,000, DNG, 164sqm (1,765sqft)
Built in 1998 by developers O’Malley Construction, Sunbury Park is an attractive cul-de-sac featuring a communal green area. The location is excellent, being at the heart of Dartry – just a short stroll from Palmerston Park, Milltown Luas station, Rathgar village and shops at Upper Rathmines Road.
Inside, the ground floor comprises an entrance hall, WC, formal reception room with interconnecting diningroom and a kitchen/breakfastroom. If buyers opt to do work to the house, a more open-plan layout might be considered through the amalgamation of the kitchen and diningroom. These rooms to the rear of the house are especially bright due to the home’s sunny orientation and generous number of windows and velux windows.
On the first floor there are three bedrooms, including the master bedroom with en suite bathroom and walk-in-wardrobe, a hotpress and a family bathroom.
The largest bedroom is on the second floor. It also features an en suite bathroom and walk-in-wardrobe, and offers access to under eaves storage.
To the front of the house is a low-maintenance garden providing off-street parking for one car. To the rear is a small, partially paved southwest-facing garden laid out primarily in lawn.
Prices in the Dartry area in enclaves such as South Hill and St Kevin’s Park have risen sharply in the past five years.
This house is no exception, having last sold at the bottom of the market in 2011 for €565,000.
In 2006, an identical four-bedroom house with a larger but north-facing garden was for sale asking €1.9 million.
7 Fortfield Square, Terenure, Dublin 6W
€795,000, Sherry FitzGerald, 187sqm (2,013sqft)
Built by Jackie Greene Construction on former AIB sportsgrounds, Fortfield Square is a modern development located in Terenure, adjacent to Bushy Park and Terenure College.
To the front lies a low maintenance garden with off-street parking for two cars. Upon entering the house the entrance hall leads to large livingroom on the left, which features a bay window. Further down the hall is a WC, a utilityroom and the kitchen. The ground floor features underfloor gas heating and recessed lighting.
A rear extension has recently been added, which has provided a highly attractive open plan kitchen cum living and diningroom. The floor-to-ceiling glazing and large skylight in the extension really enhance the space and flood the room with light. A set of French doors off the kitchen lead out to the south east-facing rear garden.
The garden is a real showstopper, having been freshly landscaped with granite paving and attractive shrubbery. It may not appeal to families searching for grassy lawns, however it is perfect for entertaining and is definitely impressive.
On the first floor there are three bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite bathroom and dressing area, and a family bathroom. Two of these bedrooms are double bedrooms, while the single bedroom is used by the current owners as an office. All three bedrooms have built-in wardrobes. The accommodation is completed by a master bedroom suite on the second floor, featuring an en-suite shower room and dressingroom. The house is in immaculate condition throughout
When first launched in 2006, four-bedroom houses in the development such as this were available from €1.45 million upwards. This house was last sold in 2013 for €550,000. However, the owners have clearly spent a considerable sum extending and upgrading the house and gardens since then.
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