Ballsbridge: €5mA large house in Dublin 4 - although needing some work - is ideal for entertaining, writes Bernice Harrison

An impressive Victorian house at 1 Elgin Road is for auction by Lisney on February 22nd with an advised minimum value (AMV) of €5 million.

The 380sq m (4,090sq ft) end-of-terrace period house has been rented for the last number of years and it's been some time since it had a major renovation - the kitchen and bathrooms, for example, are dated - so a new buyer will almost certainly embark on an extensive refurbishment programme.

Given the size of the house, it might come as a surprise that there are only three bedrooms upstairs.

They are vast, however, and the largest one to the front opens into a room-sized dressingroom that could become either a single bedroom or an en suite bathroom.

The back garden is also very modest - just a narrow strip of grass - but to the side there is a large garage with a gravelled courtyard parking area in front. This could be landscaped or a buyer might look at the garage with a view to potential mews usage.

At hall level it's easy to see why this was such a successful corporate let.

It's a particularly good space for entertaining - an elegant reception hall, a very large drawingroom to the front, a second reception room to the back and a diningroom. There's also a modern conservatory off the hall and a cloakroom.

Not all original features are intact - some fireplaces are missing and some of the original windows have been replaced.

Down at garden level the functional eat-in kitchen runs the width of the front of the house and there is a family room and bathroom to the back.

There's also another room which could be a bedroom. In all, there's off-street parking for around six cars and there's still some room for greenery in the front garden.