You won’t have to sacrifice space for location in the generous and generously proportioned Victorian at 45 Grosvenor Road, which is is in that part of Rathmines/Rathgar that epitomises the phrase “leafy suburb”. Back in the mists of a certain vintage of memories, many of these houses played host to a medley of bedsits and some truly epic student parties, but these days they’re pretty much all salubrious family homes.
At about 240sq m (2,538sq ft), the house, which is in interiors-shoot perfect condition, has six bedrooms, which the owners happily filled with children. Having lived here for more than 20 years, they are now downsizing. No 45 is double fronted, with bay windows to one side. It is at the corner of the street, and so has a front, and nicely private side garden, accessed from the family room. This sunny spot is a lovely place to enjoy an afternoon coffee or evening drink.
The charming entrance hall, with nice plasterwork detailing and rich dark solid wood floors, leads to a drawing room, with a fine marble fireplace and a bay window on the right and the family room to the left. Take a few steps down to the large kitchen and breakfast room, which is lit by four Velux windows and has a glazed door to a small rear yard.
Something of a showpiece, the sleek kitchen wouldn’t look out of place on a cookery programme, but there is added cosiness in the dining area opposite where a solid wood stove warms the dining table. There is also a handy utility room.
Upstairs the six bedrooms are all doubles. The main bedroom has the upstairs bay window, with working shutters and beautiful high ceilings. Originally the house had “just” five bedrooms, the owners creating a sixth by partitioning one large space. This move could easily be reversed. Alternatively, new owners might want to add an additional bathroom – currently the house has two – or make an en suite for the main bedroom.
Grosvenor Road abounds in big redbricks. Nearby, Finnegan Menton is seeking €1.1 million for the larger (304sq m/3,272sq ft) No 58. A pre-1963 building, it is still in four units and needs upgrading. It has been on the market a while, and was previously offered at €1.7 million through Lisney. Restoration costs would certainly bring the overall outlay closer to that figure. The difference with No 45 is that much of the work has already been done, making for easy living in a very beautiful house indeed.
