DUBLIN 8 €1.15M:NUMBER 5 LONGWOOD Avenue in Portobello, Dublin 8 is a light-filled period house with a wonderful surprise element - a suburban-sized back garden stocked with second showings of old-fashioned blooms such as delphinium, dahlia, anemone and hollyhock. There is a mature apple tree, an established hawthorn and a syringia, writes Alanna Gallagher
In the early morning October light the place was peaceful and colourful although the owners insist that the garden is better in spring. The main, lawned body of the garden stretches back 112ft with an additional 25ft for a green house, shed and composting areas. There's also a sheltered paved area under the trees with a bench to sit on and a patio where you can take morning coffee al fresco, even at this time of the year.
It's a huge addition to the three/four-bed house which has 151sq m (1,630sq ft) and is for sale by private treaty through agent Felicity Fox for €1.15 million.
The property was purchased by the present owners in 1999 and refurbished throughout. There's a nicely proportioned sittingroom to the front with gas fire and built-in shelving. To the rear is a spacious kitchen/diningroom with fitted pine units and a central chimney stack with inset hob. This was originally two rooms and the door connecting the back room to the sittingroom has been boarded up with feature shelving built into the surround. It's a bright space with an adjacent conservatory that has direct access to the rear patio.
A second self-contained area is also to the rear. This features a shower room and large hickory floored office that would also work well as a den or television room or granny/au pair flat. The office has two sets of sliding doors that open onto the garden. Throughout there is extensive use of Velux windows and roof lighting, which makes the place bright and airy.
Upstairs, there are two double bedrooms with ample wardrobe space. One is en suite. The third bedroom has built-in wardrobes which make it a large single. All feature warm period wall colours from dusky pink to duck egg blue. One of the original back bedrooms has been turned into a large mosaic-tiled bathroom.
The house is set well back from the very quiet road. The canal is at the top of the road with the South Circular Road at the bottom. The artisan shops and restaurants of Camden Street are a short stroll away. Number 5 offers a very desirable combination to the commute-phobic; city life with all its fringe benefits and the privacy of a large suburban-scale outdoor space.
Parking is on-street.
5 Longwood Avenue, Portobello, Dublin 8
Refurbished period house with a high spec and long back garden
Agent:Felicity Fox
