Cosy, comfortable Blackrock five-bed for €1.45m

Dating from 1995 and built by Castlethorn Construction, this double-fronted five-bedroom home at number 30 Avoca Park has been extended by the owners who have raised their family here. “We really loved the light and great sense of circulation when we first moved here, and we changed bits and pieces over the years,” say the owners, who are downsizing and spend quite a bit of time visiting family overseas.

They changed what was a conservatory into an informal living room off the kitchen. “We are keen cooks and really wanted another space that would flow from the kitchen and dining areas, as this house really lends itself to entertaining – and we’ve had over 60 friends here at one time,” they say. The light-filled room – which has French doors and a full-length window in addition to skylights – is home to a rather large and happy ornamental fig tree, which the owners were given as a housewarming present for their first home about 35 years ago. The way it has grown is indicative of the amount of natural light flowing through the room.

The kitchen itself was updated in 2010 and overlooks the southeast-facing garden where plums, blueberries, gooseberries and rhubarb have kept the family busy during lockdowns.

A wood-burning stove is the focal point of the formal living room that overlooks the front garden in the small cul-de-sac. “I think it is a real forever home,” says the owner. “It’s just so handy, as you can walk to Blackrock and Stillorgan and you have Carysfort Park and a children’s playground nearby.”

The house has undergone some renovations, with the addition of new windows and insulation, so now has a much improved Ber of B3. New wardrobes by Newcastle Design have been installed in the second and third bedrooms.

For families there is an excellent selection of primary and secondary schools nearby which include Blackrock College, St Andrew’s College, Carysfort National School, Mount Anville and Sion Hill. The location is close to sailing at Dún Laoghaire and numerous sports grounds, clubs and amenities.

Number 30 is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €1.45 million.