Maxed-out Blackrock dormer with designer kitchen for €875,000

The owners of this semi-detached bungalow at 15 Ardagh Avenue in a 1960s estate in Blackrock bought in 2005 and renovated and extended in 2007.

The work, according to the owner, was so extensive that all that was left of the original was the front brick-and-pebbledash wall as the couple effectively rebuilt the house, going into the attic to create three bedrooms, one with an en suite and the family bathroom, and extending across the rear to make a light-filled family-friendly living space.

Three years later as their family grew they extended to the side, adding another attic room upstairs which is used as a fifth bedroom. The fourth bedroom is to the front of the house at ground level and improvements to that in 2010 included adding an en suite.

As there is now, according to the owner, “nothing left to do” in the 170sq m (1,830sq ft) family home they are moving on to a fixer-upper in the neighbourhood and placing number 15 Ardagh Avenue on the market through Lisney, seeking €875,000.

One of the high-end features, unlikely to be changed by new owners, is the Christoff kitchen, a country-style model with a pull-out pantry, larder press and Belfast sink, and a marble work surface also used on the island unit. Originally hand painted in cream, it was recently refreshed with a shade of soft grey.

The living accommodation includes the front reception room which has come into its own in the past year as a separate space from the more open-plan rear of the property where the family spends the most time. This area comprises a kitchen and dining area with two sets of glazed doors opening through to the sun room which, in turn, leads out to a raised deck in the southwesterly garden.

Houses in this quiet, well-established estate off Newtownpark Avenue have proven enduringly popular with families drawn to the location and they sell quickly, particularly if they have been modernised and extended.

Number 15 Ardagh Avenue with a C3 energy rating is in a cul-de-sac – further increasing its appeal for families trading up in the area. The most recent property to have a “for sale” sign in the neighbourhood is number 52 Ardagh Crescent, which came on the market in mid-January seeking €835,000, also through Lisney, and is now sale agreed.