For anybody who wants a compact period house in a prime location without the trauma of renovations, 50 Cherryfield Avenue Lower in Ranelagh, Dublin 6, offers a ready solution.
On a quiet road with no through traffic, just five minutes' walk from the centre of Ranelagh, this two-bedroom Edwardian terrace house is in walk-in condition after top-to-toe refurbishment by the present owners.
Peter Kenny of Gunne is quoting a guide price of £225,000-plus for the property, which is due to be auctioned on 17 November.
Like all the other houses on Cherryfield Avenue Lower, it was solidly built around 1910 to a uniform bay-windowed design. Beyond an outer glass porch door, the style of stained glass front door which was so typical of the period has been recreated.
The hall, with paint-effect wallpaper in a deep rose colour, striped below the dado and marbled with a gold motif above, is the first indication of the bright decorative approach adopted throughout the house.
In the large living-cum-diningroom, made by removing the wall between two former small reception rooms, the theme is green and cream to match striking Art Nouveau tiles in a handsomely ornate period fireplace.
The square kitchen in the return is brand new, with rag-rolled cream units, grey tiled splashbacks and sliding patio doors.
On the floor above it is a spacious bathroom, created out of what was previously a third bedroom. Decorated in blue and white, it has a large corner bath and marble-topped vanity unit (both with Edwardian-style brass taps), lavatory and walk-in shower cabinet. Next door is a walk-in hot press.
The two bedrooms open off the main landing - the main bedroom to the front, and a smaller double room, currently a nursery with an eyecatching mural, to the rear.
There is a small gravelled garden to the front and a secluded south-facing back garden. With some minor adjustments - perhaps a stone terrace in place of concrete at the back door and some new planting - this could easily become a very pretty space as well as a manageable one.
