Two in Monkstown offer a blank canvas

22 Belgrave Road Monkstown, Co Dublin

Belgrave Road linking Seapoint Avenue and Monkstown Road, was constructed almost a century after nearby Belgrave Square, the salubrious area from which it takes its name. Number 22 is an Edwardian property with many hallmarks of the Victorian era.

Constructed in 1909 and with 190sq m of living space, the house retains its original features including ornate coving, ceiling roses and impressive stained-glass box bay windows.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 5

22 Belgrave Road, Monkstown, Co Dublin

As the house has been rented until recently, furniture is sparse, but the bare bones all add up to a solid, handsome house filled with period details.

Two fine interconnecting reception rooms both feature high ceilings and original fireplaces. The old carpet hiding the floorboards has kept them in good condition since they were laid over a 100 years ago.

Breakfastroom

To the rear of the house, a breakfastroom connects to a now outdated kitchen but new owners have a myriad of options to renovate this space.

Some neighbours have added a double-height extension - adding a further bedroom and larger kitchen. Others have opened the two rooms into one – allowing for a brighter space overall.

Box bay

Upstairs are four bedrooms, the largest extends the width of the house and features a fireplace and a box bay window with fine views of Dublin Bay. Originally this room would have been the piano nobile, and there would be little work required to reinstate it as a living area. As a bedroom, it is one of the finer rooms in the house.

The rear garden which requires maintenance extends to 30m with access to a lane. Five sheds and overgrown hedging diminish the size, but like the house itself there is much potential. Some neighbours have installed carports to allow for off-street parking while others have extra living space in the form of garden rooms.

It is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald asking €1.275 million.

2 Ardenza Terrace, Monkstown, Co Dublin

In the 1830s when the Dublin to Kingstown railway line was being built, Lord Cloncurry of Maretimo House in Blackrock was aggrieved, as the train line was to run between his property and the sea. His compensation was the princely sum of £2,000, an ornate footbridge and a private bathing area complete with a Romanesque temple, so he and his family could bathe in peace.

New owners of 2 Ardenza Terrace in Monkstown also have a private footbridge connecting them to a bathing area on the shores of Dublin Bay. Shared with just the seven other houses that lie on this private terrace adjacent to Seapoint Dart Station, the bridge allows access for morning swims and evening strolls.

The beauty of Ardenza is that the main road, Seapoint Avenue, runs to the rear of the houses allowing uninterrupted sea views.

A further benefit is the terrace has private access to the Dart station which is just a stroll down the communal front gardens, allowing residents to be at the station within minutes.

Dating from the 1850s, this mid-terrace house stretches to over 354sq m and rooms are of remarkable proportions. The ground floor reception areas, besides having highly decorative coving and ceiling roses, would happily entertain a hundred guests watching the sun set over Dublin Bay.

The piano nobile, which most houses on the terrace use as the master bedroom, stretches to over 40sq m. Falling asleep here beside a roaring fire while gazing out on a stormy sea are what dreams are made of.

At garden level, a large family room links to the kitchen with access to the 24m long rear garden. In need of some updating, like the gardens and the five bedroom house itself, there is huge scope to transform this period house into the spacious elegant family home it once was. Sherry FitzGerald is asking €1.35 million.