Following on from the considerable success of Seascape, its apartment development in Clontarf, veteran northside developers MKN Property Group launch Lonsdale, an infill development of four- and five-bed homes a short drive along the coast at 726-728 Howth Road, in Blackbanks, Raheny.
The development, in the grounds of two detached properties on large gardens, has been a 10-year project. The firm purchased Haremount, number 726, a substantial property on about 0.6 acres in 2007, which had been for sale with an asking price of €2million.
The original plan had been to build a second house to its side but the market collapsed and it was another seven years before they purchased Lonsdale, the house next door at 728 Howth Road, a property on one acre of gardens, that gave the developers the chance to combine the two sites, to create a large-scale development on the desirable Dublin 5 road.
Lonsdale first came to market in 2012 at €1.8million and sold to MKN in 2014 for €1.4million.
Set about 100 metres from the coast end of the Howth Road the A-rated houses comprise four different building styles; to the front there are seven five-bedroom bedroom properties, both semi- and terraced three-storey styles, all with large front gardens that face south.
To the back of the scheme, which has been designed by architect Adrian Hill, who also worked on MKN’s Burrow Heath development on Station Road in Sutton, are three terraces of three anthracite zinc-fronted two-storey homes.
The five-beds have kitchens by McNally featuring Spanish marble countertops, and wardrobes by Cawleys Furniture, triple-glazed Rationel windows and doors and sea views from the master bedroom window on the second floor with underfloor heating in all bathrooms.
Roof lights
The kitchens have roof lights that bathe the rear in light, Siemens appliances and a Bosch washer and separate drier in the utility room. French windows open out to the rear garden.
This part of the scheme puts the focus on the front rather than the back garden so in the formal sitting room, accessed via glass interconnecting doors, another set of double doors open out to a patio that takes advantage of the southerly aspect to the front.
The semis range in size from 208sq m / 2244sq ft and cost €900,000 each. There is one mid-terrace five bed of 193sq m /2080sq ft in size, costing €850,000. The end of terrace properties are the same size and cost €875,00 each.
In the four-bedroom properties the houses have double-glazed windows and doors by O’Grady Joinery with the ground floor offering about 90sq m of space in its interconnecting rooms; a sitting room to the front leading through to a large kitchen, living dining room which opens out to the back garden.
All of these house types are the same size; 157sq m/ 1700sq ft and prices start from €660,000 for a mid-terrace rising to €685,000 for the end of terrace residence.
Niamh McKeon, the firm’s design director, has included some very smart touches that are worth considering as optional extras; a very cool Italian dining table and chairs that really fits the scheme, smart modern-style radiator cabinets and bespoke curtains and blinds that fit the box bay windows perfectly.
