9 Pleasants Street

£440,000

An 1860s terraced house at 9 Pleasants Street, off Camden Street, Dublin 8, was in what agents like to call "original condition" until the present owners bought it three years ago.

Setting about an immediate and thorough refurbishment, they have created a tasteful home with polished larch floors, decorative cornicing, state-ofthe-art custom built kitchen and bathroom, and up to four bedrooms - while still managing to hold on to most of those original features.

The bathroom in particular, with its Victorian cast-iron bath, separate double shower cubicle, heated towel rail and long, shuttered window, combines the mood of the early house with today's comforts.

A guide of £440,000 has been set by agent Gunnes in advance of its auction on February 20th.

The general living areas are on the ground floor while three of the bedrooms and the bathroom are at hall level. Light from a Velux window spills across an entrance hall, further brightened by the light through the original restored leaded fanlight. The largest of the bedrooms has a Victorian cast-iron fireplace and a Louis Mulcahy, custom made pottery sink unit.

The garden level kitchen has Mexican tiled and solid beech worktops, terracotta tiled floor and shuttered window. The livingroom has a polished larch floor, brick and tiled hearth and double doors leading to the rear patio and garden.

The shower room is on this level too and so is a fourth bedroom or playroom. The walled back garden has 20 metres of lawn and a patio in Donegal natural stone. The house has gas under floor central heating. The kitchen has beech worktops

37 Elmwood Avenue

£290,000

Tucked away in Ranelagh village, 37 Elmwood Avenue Upper is a charming double-fronted redbrick period house at the top end of a quiet cul-de-sac. This terraced property has been extensively refurbished by its present owners and is going to auction on February 15th. Selling agent Sherry FitzGerald is quoting a guide price of £290,000.

The convenience of Ranelagh speaks for itself. Along with easy access to the city centre, one of the big advantages of Ranelagh is the buzzy atmosphere of the village and the range of shops and restaurants serving the area. The front door opens into the main livingroom with original cast-iron fireplace with ornate tiled inset, built-in antique pine bookcases and original polished floorboards. It is a cosy room with a real country cottage atmosphere. The handpainted wooden stairs are an eye-catching detail.

To the left, a diningroom leads off the livingroom, overlooking the street to the front. This room also features a cast-iron fireplace.

At the back of the house, the kitchen benefits from the morning sun. It has hand-crafted stripped antique pine wall and floor units, a Belfast sink with mahogany drainer; rustic floor tiles continue the country cottage theme. Like the sittingroom, the kitchen is painted in warm tones of yellow gold.

The house does not have a back garden, just a small gravelled area with pedestrian access to a back lane. At the front, the property faces a row of trees and greenery. It is not overlooked. Residents of this street have on-street parking.

A big return window floods the stairs and landing area with natural light. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms and both rooms feature original cast-iron fireplaces.

The main bedroom has a built-in antique pine chest of drawers while the second bedroom has an antique pine built-in wardrobe.

The landing has two closets for storage space, and there is further space in an understairs closet. The bathroom is downstairs at the back of the house.