One of the best located individual house sites in south Co Dublin, a 1.1-acre parcel of land off Westminster Road in Foxrock, Dublin 18, is expected to fetch more than £1.4 million at auction next month.
The land was originally part of the grounds of Grassmere, the large period property once owned by Irish Permanent's former chief executive, Dr Edmund Farrell. Dr Farrell sold Grassmere earlier this year for close to £2 million to property developer John Walshe and accountant Kieran Ryan, who are now selling it on. The site, which backs on to Foxrock golf course, has full planning permission for a large detached house of around 6,000 sq ft.
It is scheduled for auction through Daphne Kaye & Associates on December 9th. Sites of this size are becoming extremely rare in Foxrock, where a number of large properties have been carved up for housing in recent years. Daphne Kaye, who is based in Foxrock, says that there is very strong demand in the area for sites from a quarter acre upwards, but that these are increasingly difficult to find.
This site has the advantage of being extremely private, located as it is at the end of an 800-ft driveway off Westminster Road. A high granite wall divides it from the garden of Grassmere, while the other three sides are bounded by a thick belt of trees and hedges. The plans for the new house are identical to those used for a five-bedroom house that has recently been completed by the same consortium elsewhere in Foxrock. Potential buyers can view this house by appointment with the agents. A large rambling redbrick built in the traditional style, it has several reception rooms, including a very large drawingroom with a wide bay, and double doors opening on to a patio.
The diningroom has two sets of doors opening into a long conservatory, that also connects with the family room and kitchen.
There is also a study, utility room and guest cloak room on the ground floor. Upstairs, four of the five bedrooms have en suite bathrooms, and the main bedroom also has a large dressingroom. The new owner could either opt for the existing plans, with the house already planned for, or they may re-apply for planning permission, perhaps for two houses.
