Almost half an acre of garden will be one of the strongest selling features of Shoyswell, an Edwardian detached five-bedroom house at 2 Highfield Road, Rathgar, which goes to auction on September 28th.
Gunne Residential is suggesting a guide price of £825,000, though this seems conservative given its prime location and tremendous space in both house and garden.
Situated at the Dartry end of Highfield Road, Shoyswell has been in the same family for over 40 years and the interior does need updating. On the plus side, it has large, spacious rooms on three levels with a total floor area of 3,250 sq ft, as well as a 120 ft rear garden with a sunny southerly aspect.
Another attraction is a large games room on the top floor which could easily be converted for use as a studio.
The front porch has double panelled doors leading to a good-sized entrance hall. Off the hall is a narrow cloakroom.
Further along the hall is the bright drawingroom, featuring a carved pine mantelpiece and tiled fireplace, as well as a bay window that overlooks the back garden. Period features include a picture rail.
The room connects to the diningroom by modern sliding doors which could be replaced. The diningroom has a moulded ceiling cornice and its window also overlooks the back garden.
Beyond the diningroom is a bright sunroom with a hardwood maple floor, a panelled ceiling and a door out to the patio and garden. This room also features a concealed door to a boiler house.
The kitchen has original quarry tiles, a Rayburn cooker, shelved pantry and built-in cupboards. A butler's pantry is adjacent with built-in shelving and a service hatch to the diningroom.
A mahogany staircase leads upstairs to the return, which has a double bedroom and a bathroom.
Up another flight of stairs is the main landing, with two double bedrooms and a single. This single could quite easily convert into an en suite for the main bedroom, since it is conveniently located for plumbing.
The second floor has another large double bedroom, and slanting ceilings. Also at this level is an impressive timber-floored room presently used as a games room.
It stretches the width of the house and most of the length, though at one end it gives way to a shelf-lined room that could be used as a study.
The bigger room has a cast-iron fireplace with a deep bay window and a vaulted panelled ceiling and commands sweeping views towards the Dublin mountains - at least on a clear day.
To the front of the house is a large garden, partly in lawn, with ample off-street parking. To one side of the house is a yard with a door to the front and rear gardens, and a Belfast sink.
At the other side of the house is a large double garage with doors front and back. The back garden is especially impressive. It is mostly in lawn, with well-planted herbaceous borders providing ample screening and mature trees at the end of the garden.
