The last time Churchtown House, a substantial Georgian house and former ambassador's residence, was auctioned, it sold for £700,000 - £250,000 over the guide price.That was 1997 and this supplement suggested that house prices might be peaking, writes Fiona Tyrrell.
So much for predictions. Nine years on, the lavishly restored 930sq m (10,000sq ft) house on Weston Road, Churchtown with 0.95 acres has an AMV of €10 million. And that's after eight residential sites were carved out of the garden and developed by the current owner.
Agent Hamilton Osborne King plans to auction Churchtown House on October 19th.
Dating from the 1780s, Churchtown House was originally a farmhouse on substantial lands at the foothills of the Dublin mountains.
It's now a high-tech trophy home secluded from the 1960s semis built on its grounds by high stone walls and electronic gates.
The current owners, who paid £1.5 million for the house in a private sale in 1999, have spent a good deal of money on it in the interim.
Setting the tone are two magnificent reception rooms, which were added to the original farmhouse in the early 1800s.
Designed for entertaining on a grand scale, they are dual aspect and have 14ft high ceilings, beautifully detailed plasterwork and original Adams fireplaces.
Moving further into the house, modern additions to the Georgian structure include a cocktail bar off the diningroom, a home cinema system in the livingroom and a 1,000-plus bottle wine cellar accessed through a hidden door in the hall.
The Christians-style kitchen has a cosy living area and there is lots of space in the utility room and adjoining store room.
An extension to the rear of the kitchen is home to a 12-metre (40ft) swimming pool, changing rooms, hot tub, steam room and gym.
Upstairs there are six generously-sized bedrooms, three bathrooms, a sittingroom and office.
The main bedroom has a large walk-in wardrobe and a knock-out en suite with sunken Jaccuzzi bath and sauna.
The owner, who works in the security industry, has installed an advanced intruder alarm system with 14 colour CCTVs and an automatic generator.
All rooms are wired for surround sound.
Accessed via a grand sweeping gravel drive off Weston Road, Churchtown House can also be approached from a rear entrance off Sweetmount Avenue.
The grounds include lush lawns, a lily pond, a formal "secret garden" and parking for up to 10 cars.
Aside from the top-end finish at Churchtown House, a big selling point is its location, a five-minute walk from Dundrum and a short spin to the M50.
