Two options lie ahead for 14 Grosvenor Road in Rathmines. The end-of-terrace Victorian house, behind a railed and gated pedestrian entrance, is well set back from the road. Its quiet and mature location, within a short stroll of the villages of Rathmines and Rathgar, means homes here are always in demand.
As it stands, it’s laid out in nine self-contained units. When the family who have owned the property for more than 60 years converted it to self-catering units, they did so with an eye to preserving all the period details. In order to protect these features, which include some intricate coving and antique fireplaces, they installed “pod” systems in the form of bathrooms and kitchens for each unit. This means there are no visible plumbing pipes, and it allows the entire house to be brought back to a family home without interfering with the bones of the property too much. To do this new owners will have to remove the pods and upgrade the 270sq m (2,906sq ft) four-bedroom house back to what it was when it was originally constructed in Victorian times.
It is Ber-exempt as it is on the Record of Protected Structures, and a good conservation architect would be useful to guide a prospective buyer on restoring and upgrading the house. There’s a lot of tiling – an easy-to-clean option for rentals but far too much for an elegant family home of this calibre.
It is laid out over three floors and ready for renting, so may well appeal to landlords who will just need to engage in a bit of cosmetic work (basement level, which is self-contained, would benefit from a lick of paint).
As a family home, due to its size and period details, it really deserves a high-quality renovation so deep pockets will be required. What you’ll get in return will be smashing though with three great reception rooms and the garden behind goes back 145ft – which is an incredible length, given its location. You could extend to the back of the house, as a lane runs parallel there could be a chance of a mews, and there’s also rear lane access from Grosvenor Place. That’s after a long chat with the planners though.
Number 14 is on the market through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty seeking €1.75 million. Just a note, if you’re comparing houses sold on Grosvenor Road on the Property Price Register, bear in mind there are many varying house types along this tree-lined avenue; so unless you are familiar, you may not be comparing like with like.
