The activity on Orwell Park in Rathgar has been off the charts in recent years. Since the beginning of 2022, no fewer than 12 houses have changed hands. Selling from between €1.23 million to €4.8 million, it seems there is no one-size-fits-all on the road.
Number 64, which has just come on to the market through Mullery O’Gara with an asking price of €3.75 million, is a rare opportunity for someone to get their hands on one of the detached properties on the street. It has been in the same family for more than five decades and, while excellently maintained, is ready for a new owner to move in and put their own stamp on it.
With a floor space of 352sq m (3,789sq ft) and a 0.4-acre garden, it’s an impressive city pad. Four steps lead up to the tiled porch with marble columns supporting the arch. The original features hit as soon as you walk into the hallway, with cornicing, dado and picture rails and a ceiling rose providing a warm welcome.
The two more formal reception rooms are to the right and interconnect through sliding arched doors. There is a cosy livingroom across the hall with a marble fireplace and bay window to the front of the house.
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A few steps down bring you into a country-style kitchen with cream units and a blue Aga at its heart. Beyond this is a large conservatory and the doors to the garden. There is a back staircase up to a study, which would be an ideal spot for a quiet home office.
On the first-floor return there is a large stained-glass window that floods the two floors with sunlight. The bedroom at this level has a separate storage area that would convert easily to an en suite. On the next floor there are four further bedrooms and the family bathroom. The sixth bedroom is up a small staircase with a bathroom and separate WC.
One cannot ignore the finer details as you walk through the house, such as the carved wood and detailed ironwork along the staircase, the arches on the sash windows or the Victorian panelled doors. Considering they date from the early 1900s, their condition is a credit to past owners. The E2 Ber rating, however, is something that will need to be addressed with upgrades.
It could be argued that the real star of the show is the south-facing, dual-level garden. It is mature and colourful with a gravelled patio just outside the house and a long private lawn beyond that, with a Victorian fountain to top it off.
The property is a short walk from Rathgar village, with many schools in the area including The High School, Stratford College, St Mary’s College, Gonzaga and Sandford Park School.
The glut of sales on the road have brought with it a fresh lease of life, with young families bringing homes back from a state of disrepair. The new owners of number 64 certainly won’t have to look too far for inspiration if they wish to modernise, with all of the renovation works going on around them.
The current owner, however, will be very sad to leave it after so many happy years, but she feels it is the right time to downsize and allow someone else to move in, and hopefully enjoy the home as much as she did with her family.
