As property turnarounds go, 75 Grove Road has been a speedy one. The two-storey three-bed terraced house on the Grand Canal, near the bridge at Harold’s Cross, changed hands this time last year when it sold for €450,000.

Since then the 1920s house has had a complete renovation as is obvious to anyone passing by: it’s smart, dark olive painted exterior, the new triple-glazed, big pane windows and the contemporary front door are clear signals that work has been done.

The owners, an Irish architect and his South African medic partner, met while working abroad and when they moved to Dublin 18 months ago they saw how fast the property market was moving and, undeterred by the amount of work involved, they jumped on number 75. “We knew we had to hit the ground running, and get going,” she says.

And that’s what they did in this canal-side house. The decision to make the ground floor open plan meant considerable structural work and now a steel beam – left exposed and painted the calm grey of the downstairs – is a feature. It adds to the contemporary feel of the bright space, helped in no small part by the floor-to-ceiling tri-fold glazed doors that now make up the entire back wall.

The flooring throughout is strip maple, sanded and polished, “bought in Belfast, it came from an old church hall”. To the front is the living room area with a large window looking out to the canal, while at the back a grey Ikea kitchen is fitted against the wall and there is space for a good-sized dining table.

Upstairs are the three bedrooms, two small doubles and a single (currently in use as a home office). The original floorboards have been sanded and each room has a pretty cast iron fireplace painted white. The smart looking contemporary bathroom with its large white tiles and carefully chosen sanitaryware shows how a small space in the hands of a clever designer can be made work.

A nice feature in the house is the long window in the gable wall giving views from the upstairs landing looking towards the bridge.

The tri-fold doors open out to a good-sized patio which is south facing. It is now paved with sandstone slabs and the lush greenery covering every inch of garden walls give a good sense of privacy. A large shed is a useful feature.

The work included exterior insulation and between that, the triple-glazed new windows and the new heating system it’s a little puzzling that the house got a Ber rating of just C2.

There is a tiny sliver of front garden, space for a bicycle and the bins perhaps, and residents’ parking for number 75 located around the corner at O’Hara Avenue is essential along this very busy stretch of canal.

The owners are moving on – looking for something a little bigger and they are prepared to take on a house that needs work, though “maybe not quite as much as this did,” the owner says.

Number 75 Grove Road, in walk-in condition, with 818sq ft (76sq m), is on the market through Gillespie Lowe, seeking €600,000.