Rathgar refurb project for €1.3m could reap big rewards

While period houses can be compared on a price per square metre basis and whether or not they need renovation, gardens are more difficult to quantify. For many, a large garden is a prerequisite but in Dublin 6 the luxury of a large garden calls for deep pockets.

Number 35 Highfield Road, located close to the village of Rathgar is on the market through DNG with an asking price of €1.3 million. The property currently extends to a very generous 246sq m (2,650sq ft), and while it's in need of total renovation, most of the original features – ceiling roses, coving and floorboards – are still there and in good condition. An outstanding feature is two rose windows, one in an upstairs bathroom, the other with original stained glass overlooking the staircase.

Despite some parts of the house being cordoned off with makeshift partitions, it is the extent of the rear garden which will be attractive to potential buyers. At 61m (200ft) in length it offers great scope to extend while still retaining a significant-sized garden post-renovation.

In its current layout the property has three bedrooms on the top floor, two interconnecting reception rooms at hall level and two further reception rooms at garden level. To the rear is an old extension which houses a kitchen that new owners will more than likely knock.

Houses on Highfield Road are always in demand and prices reflect this. Also on the market through DNG is Number 73, at 274sq m (2,950sq ft) and in turnkey condition. The asking price is €1.75 million but the garden is just 13m (42ft) in length.

Other properties for sale in the area include 40 Frankfort Avenue seeking €1.075 million, at 305sq m (3283sq ft) but with a small city sized garden, and 8 Vernon Grove a 140sq m (1507sq ft) property seeking €1.125 million – the rear garden measures 24m (79ft).

There have been few sales on the road since the Property Price Register began, but in 2013 40 Highfield Road on a quarter of an acre sold for €1.075 million. Considering that was the trough of the property crash, and according to the CSO, property prices have risen by up to 70 per cent since then, 35 Highfield Road could well attract an investor with an eye to quickly turning the property around again.