The view from the top floor bedroom of number 91 Trimleston Gardens in Booterstown, Co Dublin, offers a peek of the nearby sea but to the fore is an expanse of rooftops. That of number 91 is tall enough to accommodate a really good dormer bedroom rather than the typical attic room. It is just one of many smart design details in this now five-bedroom semi.

When the owners bought the house in 2007 it measured about 130sq m (1,400sq ft). They were just married and over the course of their 13 years living there they have reconfigured and improved the space to accommodate their family of five.

The work was done in stages, first adding a pitched-roof kitchen to the rear, to a design by one of the owner’s fathers, now retired, architect Robert Moore. This opens out to the garden and has painted in-frame units and polished black countertops.

Then, in 2015, they brought in Ciara Murray, now of Newmark Architects, to make the best of the property’s wide plot. She extended out to the side, making the house double fronted, with a den or playroom to the right where the garage once was. The square-shaped living room was elongated with smart glass interconnecting doors leading through to the dining area, a room now co-opted into the kitchen to the rear. Off the kitchen is a sizeable utility with space for a hot press and spare fridge as well as white appliances and guest wc.

Upstairs the stairs split to access two new bedrooms to the right, situated over the original garage, with two more double bedrooms to the left. The original box room to the front, once their baby room, is now a swish and windowed ensuite.  The layout includes a linen cupboard, hidden behind the original door to the box room and accessed from the hall. It’s a small detail but really helps tidy away bulky items such as bed linen and towels by finding a place for everything in a busy household.

The main bedroom is now at the top of the house and overlooks the southeast-facing garden. The sliver of sea view from here probably opens up a little once the deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn.

Large and uncluttered, it too has a windowed shower ensuite and a roomy walk-in wardrobe with even more storage secreted in behind the hanging space for suitcases and Christmas decorations. This is thanks to the addition of a Dutch gable to the side.

Now set over three floors, the house has an impressive B3 BER rating and extends to 215sq m (2,314sq ft). The property overlooks a lovely green to the front and has a decent-sized back garden with sandstone patio, mature cherry blossom and plenty of space for a large trampoline for the kids.

There is off-street parking to the front for at least two cars. The property is asking €995,000 through agents Lisney.

Nearby, number 46 sold for €850,000 last March, according to the property price register, while number 15, a four-bed semi in need of modernisation, sold for €676,352 last January.