A retro find in Donnybrook for €1.2 million

Elm Park is a cul-de-sac off Nutley Lane in Donnybrook, the road with the N11 at one end and Merrion Road at the other. Its houses were built in the 1970s when mock-Georgian was a popular style for “executive homes”, so each redbrick two-storey house featured a porch with classical pillars and bow windows.

Over time the appearance of some has changed – in some the open porch has been taken away or enclosed while several have incorporated the side garage into the living accommodation.

Number 3 Elm Park looks to be unaltered since it was first bought – the main bedroom to the front has an avocado-coloured en suite, while the Jack and Jill bathroom servicing the two rear double bedrooms has a peach-coloured one. The ensuite was once a fourth bedroom and reinstating that layout would be an option for buyers. They will be doing considerable work anyway – the house is an executor’s sale – although they probably won’t want to extend out, just rework the layout.

The original buyers must have been given several layout options off the plans, so in number 3 the enclosed front porch opens into a room-sized hall with a window and a decorative chimneypiece – in other houses there is a study here.

Making the reception rooms entertainment friendly was clearly also in the plans so the living room – which runs from front to back – opens into a large dining room and then into the kitchen. That room still features its red melamine 1980s units and red and navy wall tiles that retro fans would consider a real find. The strip wood panelling conceals a door into the garage – an obvious conversion opportunity to additional living space with access off the hall. A large rear porch off the kitchen doubles as a sunroom.

The south-facing back garden was paved some time ago for easy maintenance while a large green house was built so the owner could keep gardening. The detached house currently measures 182sq m/1,960sq ft and is for sale through Eoin O’Neill Property Advisers asking €1.2 million.

Houses don’t come on the road that often – families move in and stay put – but next door, number 2 sold late last year for €1.24 million.