There is a widely held theory that the first thing new home owners tackle is the kitchen. Even estate agents regularly advise would-be house sellers not to do anything with the kitchen before the sale, as whatever they do will most likely end up in the skip as soon as the sold sign comes down. This theory falls apart in the case of top-of-the-range kitchens, because big brand kitchens which can cost from around £20,000 are now a major selling point for any house.

The owners of 10 Ballymun Road, a terraced redbrick house in Glasnevin, were not thinking of selling when they installed their Siematic kitchen last year. They needed a highly functional family kitchen that would be both solid and sturdy, but also look good. A major plus was that they had the space to put it in, because there was already a large extension on the redbrick Victorian house. Their kitchen is amber maple, with a mix of black granite worktop on one side and maple worktop on the other.

It is integrated (a major plus for buyers) so the fridge and washing machine are behind maple doors, while the appliances that are on show are stainless steel. This includes a sleek stainless steel dishwasher, a microwave, an oven and five ringed hob, with a matching extractor hood and stainless steel splashback. The units themselves are a mix of door types for added visual interest. They are mostly amber maple but there are some units with white lacquer doors, as well as box shaped units glazed with blue glass, and stainless steel units with frosted glass doors.

Big brand kitchens are much prized for their crafty storage features. This kitchen comes with a pull-out larder unit, an integrated bread bin and undersink bins for cleaning materials. A real designer touch is the counter lights, which are fixed under the overhead units. These are halogen and are fixed into a stainless steel strip that also incorporates several powerpoints, so there are no unsightly plugs. There are two strips of halogen track lighting in the ceiling.

The four-bedroom house last changed hands two years ago and the new owners have decorated it from top to bottom. The main bedroom has recently been wood-panelled below the dado rail, and this has been painted white, while the walls are blue, making for a crisp fresh look. The bay window in the bedroom is a lovely bonus. There is a roomy landing with space for a large piece of furniture and three other bedrooms, two doubles and a single.

The main bathroom is also in the return and it has recently been decorated with lovely grey/ blue mosaic tiles.

Downstairs, the interconnecting reception rooms have been painted a rich plum colour and feature their original fireplaces. Access to the paved garden is through patio doors in the kitchen and at the bottom of the garden is a room which the current owners use as a home office. It opens on to the lane at the back.

10 Ballymun Road, Dublin 11, is for auction by Douglas Newman Good on 7th April, with a guide of £270,000.