The vendors of a small two-bed house on a lane off Albert Road in Sandycove, Co Dublin, bought Turnberry Cottage, 27A Albert Road Lower, at the tail end of the boom in 2007 for €655,000.
They spent over €100,000 refurbishing it – and are now looking for €675,000 for their 83sq m (893sq ft) home through DNG. The owners are moving because they need more space.
The revamp is a very modern take on cottage style: the front door opens straight into an open-plan hall/kitchen/dining space floored with stone timber-effect tiles. There’s a turquoise glass splashback behind a kitchen counter and glass bricks in a whitewashed brick wall separating the entrance hall from the kitchen.
A glazed door leads from this space into a livingroom with a dark timber floor, beamed ceiling and fireplace set into a whitewashed brick chimneybreast. The back wall of sliding glazed doors opens into a landscape patio with high white walls, a water feature and bamboo plants in raised beds.
Brightly carpeted stairs lead from the dining area to a bright landing with two Velux windows in a vaulted ceiling. The main bedroom, a modest-sized double, has wall-to-wall sliderobes and a 14ft high tongue-and-groove ceiling. The second bedroom is a long room, also with fitted wardrobe. The mostly-tiled family bathroom has an oval bath and walk-in shower.
This unusual house was built many years ago in the back garden of 27 Albert Road, the 19thcentury end-of-terrace house in front. It has no space for parking – but comes with a large garage further down the lane, currently used for storage. (Parking isn’t allowed on the lane.)