PITCH US YOUR HOUSE ... Family's €535,000 house in Sallynoggin

THE SELLERS: Ciara McMorrow and Rossa O'Siorada

THE SELLERS:Ciara McMorrow and Rossa O'Siorada

What and where

It is a three-bedroom semi-detached house in Sallynoggin, Co Dublin.

The house is in a quiet cul-de-sac close to Dún Laoghaire and, in addition, has a large back garden.

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Describe the house

Rock solid 1940s' semi-detached house, built at a time when partition walls were rare - no chance of overhearing the neighbours, or them you! We have a huge 60 ft back garden which is great for our kids and their friends to play in, and for us to enjoy the odd barbecue in.

We had to gut the house when we moved here which proved to be a good thing as it gave us a more family friendly layout. Downstairs, there is a good-sized livingroom with open fireplace and floor-to-ceiling bookcases; the first thing you see when you walk into the house from the hallway.

When we had the house rewired, Rossa insisted on installing surroundsound so as not to have wires hanging everywhere. We rearranged the back of the house so we could have a large kitchen/breakfastroom, a utility and a downstairs loo (a must in a family house).

Upstairs there are three bedrooms - two double, one single. These didn't need much work other than re-plastering after the mess of re-wiring.

When we first moved in, the smallest bedroom was going to be Rossa's office so it's wired for everything under the sun, but we didn't count on Lillie Mary arriving quite so soon.

The concrete shed in the garden was renovated and is now Rossa's refuge (sorry, I mean office) from a house full of women.

Why are you moving?

The principal reason is because Freya (our eldest daughter) has started senior school and we would like to be closer to it.

What's the best thing about the house?

Lovely neighbours, massive sunny back garden, perfect kitchen, quiet cul de sac with no through traffic so children can play safely outside. The fact that we could retain so much of the original 1940s' features, such as the glass bricks in the hallway and solid wooden doors, while transforming it into a contemporary family home, makes for very comfortable living.

We always wanted a kitchen like this but never thought we would have it in our first house. A utility room and pantry is not something we expected in our first home.

The fact that you can close the door in the kitchen and not hear any racket from the livingroom (and vice versa) is a godsend to those with noisy children/nieces/ nephews.

Open plan living is all well and good, but triy having four three-year-olds over to play and not having somewhere to hide.

And the neighbourhood?

Pearse Gardens is a quiet cul de sac in Sallynoggin, which has a host of small local shops (the butcher shop, in particular, is truly excellent) and five supermarkets within a two-mile radius.

The proximity to Dun Laoghaire, good public transport links and the M50 is handy beyond belief. The walk down to the People's Park of a Sunday for cheeky croissants and cheese from the Organic Market is a lovely way to relax at the end of the week.

Who'd like your home?

Us. We love it very much. We would like to pick it up and drop it closer to Freya's school, but apparently this is impractical. A young couple with or without children would find this home perfectly suited to them.

To view

Our home is for sale through Lisney estate agents and can be viewed either on www.myhome.ie or on the Lisney website.

Do you want to pitch your house? Email words and pictures to us at property@irish-times.ie