Looking for...a four-bed home in Rathfarnham/Churchtown

In 2012, Rathfarnham seemed to have dropped lower than most other areas – semi-detached homes in good locations requiring modernisation could have been picked up for little over €200,000, with modern detached homes available for less than €350,000. Fast-forward to 2014 and possibly nowhere has experienced price rises quite like Rathfarnham. Despite these rises, the area's popularity continues to rise, recording the highest sales volumes in South Dublin in the first half of this year.

Churchtown has traditionally been more expensive than Rathfarnham, and didn’t drop quite as far price-wise at the bottom of the market, but prices have still rebounded significantly and finding value in either location can be a challenge.

Redwood Court, Churchtown, Dublin 14 Agent: DNG Terenure; Asking Price: €650,000; 215sq m (2,310sq ft)

Redwood Court is a small development off Breamor Road, within easy reach of Churchtown village and close to a number of other villages, including Rathgar and Rathfarnham, not to mention Dundrum Town Centre, which is five minutes away by car.

Last sold in 1995 with an asking price of £165,000 (€210,000), the house was then 600sq ft larger, until a side extension was removed in 2004 to accommodate a new 2,400sq ft (and basement) house at 1A Redwood Court, which was asking €1.8 million at the height of the market in 2006 but failed to sell. This is not 1 Redwood Court’s first foray onto the market, as it made an appearance in 2011 asking €575,000.

Three of the four bedrooms in this house have en-suite bathrooms and the fourth bedroom is beside the family bathroom. Being a dormer-bungalow, there is limited space upstairs and as a result two bedrooms are downstairs and two upstairs. To the front of the house there is a formal living and dining room, and the most obvious improvement that could be made would be the amalgamation of the small galley-style kitchen and the large second family room bordering it at the rear of the house.

This change would create a lovely open-plan living, kitchen and dining room leading out to the garden and would certainly add value. The small rear garden may be off-putting for many families, but in terms of internal space this house is competitively priced.

27 Stonepark Abbey, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 Agent: McCarthy Auctioneers; Asking Price: €599,950; 151 sq m (1,620sq ft)

Stonepark Abbey was developed in about 1990 on the grounds of Loreto Abbey by O’Grady Developments. There are about 90 homes in total, of which the four- bedroom detached is the largest style.

No 27 is one of these homes, and similar examples commanded about £90,000 (€114,000) back in 1991.

By 2005, a similar neighbouring property was asking €900,000.

In 2009, this property was advertised at €549,950, and thus this new higher price reflects the current strong market conditions.

As with numerous neighbouring properties, the home has been extended at the rear, which has eaten into the already limited back garden but has provided a second large family living room. The remainder of the garden has been laid out as a low-maintenance patio.

This house is also in walk-in-condition throughout, but there is room for buyers to improve with some light redecoration to remove any remaining hints of the property’s 1990s origins.

This house, again, has a narrow galley-style kitchen that many buyers today consider unattractive. The solution to this is not as obvious as at Redwood Court, however buyers may consider opening up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, which would provide a far more open space.

3 Mount Eden, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 Agent: DNG Terenure; Asking Price: €550,000; 134sq m (1,442sq ft)

This house was for sale last year with another agent at €675,000. It is back on the market with a more attractive asking price. Located within the 11 acre Eden estate, or Tudor Grange as it was originally marketed, 3 Mount Eden is one of three identical neighbouring homes just to the left when entering the estate.

Houses in Tudor Grange, as its name suggests, were built in a mock-Tudor style when development began in 1996. Four-bedroom detached homes were marketed off-plan starting from £159,950 (€203,000), although this one could have been built as late as 2002, which is the year of construction as per the BER cert. In 2005, 4 Eden Avenue, a slightly larger home close by was seeking €825,000.

To the front of the house there is ample parking and views over south Dublin thanks to the property’s elevated position. Upstairs, the property’s floor plan is traditional with four bedrooms, one with en suite bathroom, and a family bathroom. Downstairs, there is a separate living room to the front of the house and a large, open-plan kitchen, dining and living room to the rear, which is bound to appeal to prospective buyers. Both neighbouring properties have extended to the rear rather than having a conservatory, and buyers may follow suit here in order to create a more energy-efficient and warm room. The rear garden is 40ft long and has a good southwesterly aspect.