Back in 2008, an Irish Times reporter commented in the Property supplement that houses on Home Villas in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 were going for prices well in excess of what their square footage might indicate. At that time, a two-bed, 62sq m (667sq ft) house that had been extended and renovated was asking a whopping €785,000. History doesn't relate if it fetched that price, the market was already on a downward spiral by then, but it seems that these tiny terraced redbricks have always commanded a premium relative to the market.
Number 60 is a smart, minimalist two-bed that was renovated and extended more than a decade ago to 59sq m (635sq ft). It is on the market through Hunters estate agents asking €395,000. Nearby, Number 5 Home Villas, a 70sq m (753sq ft) renovated two-bed, is on the market asking €425,000. Time will tell if these asking prices are a case of wishful thinking or a firm indicator that prices in the Dublin market are bullish again due to lack of supply.
Number 60 was renovated and extended and the mix of pristine white walls and exposed red and yellow brick in the reception rooms make for a nice contrast. The reception rooms have a pared-back look. The owners have dressed the sittingroom with little more than a black leather Mies Van der Rohe Barcelona chair set against white walls. This room has a part-red-brick chimney breast with a black cast-iron stove. A large sash window overlooks the street. The walls of the cute diningroom are mostly exposed brick and there’s a cast-iron fireplace. There’s also a galley-sized fitted kitchen with a slate floor and a rear hall which doubles as a utility area. A small rear west-facing court yard is paved in black flagstones. The shower room has white mosaic tiles and the bedrooms are smart with honey-coloured floor boards and white walls. There’s also a floored attic which is accessed by a Stira stairs, providing a good amount of storage space. There’s also the unusual addition of a decked area above the shower room but access is by ladder, which for some might seem a bit precarious.
Part of the appeal of this terrace is that Herbert Park is practically your back garden. There is resident disc parking to the front of the house.
