16 Victoria Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6
Agent: DNG Terenure Price: €1. 1 million Size: 2,748sq ft /255sq m
Victoria Road is a quiet residential street located off leafy Zion Road and minutes away from Rathgar village. At the height of the boom, a builder purchased the house and its identical neighbour, 17 Victoria Road, when they were offered for sale together. While they still appear to be typical 1920s, behind their period facades lie practically newly-built modern homes following substantial works to renovate and extend the properties. As a result Number 16 boasts an impressive BER B1.
The interior is modern throughout, with recessed lighting in most rooms and very few nods to the original period house. There are four bedrooms at first-floor level – the master featuring an en-suite bathroom and dressingroom – and a family bathroom. There are two large attic rooms with Velux windows, which could lend themselves to a variety of uses. For a house of its size and given that some might consider it a six-bedroomed house including the attic rooms, another bathroom or en suite would have been a practical feature.
Downstairs, there is one family room to the front of the house featuring sash windows and a wall-mounted gas fire. Behind this there is a utility and WC.
The real selling point of the house lies at the very back. The developer opted for a large, open-plan kitchen, living and diningroom that opens up to the garden. The exceptionally large room is cleverly designed, allowing natural light to flow into each of the spaces.
For what is essentially a modern home in a central and desirable location, the garden is fantastic, about 120ft long with a sunny southerly aspect.
Both number 16 and 17 were previously asking just under €1.5 million in 2009 having been renovated. Number 17 sold in 2011 for €865,000 after it was reduced to €975,000 that year.
8 Ardilea Wood, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14
Agent: Breslin & Co Price: €1.25 million Size: 2,700sq ft /251sq m
Launched in 2000, Ardilea Wood became Dublin’s second ready-made estate for millionaires (after Carrickmines Wood), with prices of more than €2 million achieved for the largest of the 10 houses. The current asking price is lower than the €1.2-€1.5 million paid originally for houses of this style. Its BER C2 is perfectly respectable for a home of this era.
Located within the prestigious and desirable Ardilea estate, Ardilea Wood is accessed through electric gates at the end of the Salzburg cul-de-sac. There is room for about three cars in the home’s driveway.
The interior has been well cared-for over the years and while it isn’t the cutting edge of design, and some buyers may view certain features as outdated, the home is in walk-in condition throughout and the traditional décor will still appeal to many.
On the ground floor there are two livingrooms, a separate diningroom, an office, WC and a kitchen with sunroom, currently used as an informal dining space. Upstairs on the first floor there are five good-sized bedrooms, all with fitted wardrobes and two with en-suite bathrooms. The family bathroom is particularly grand, with all gold fixtures and a Jacuzzi enclosed by Roman-style fluted marble columns.
There is further accommodation on the second floor, comprising a bathroom with bidet, a sauna and a gym. The northwesterly rear garden is laid out in sandstone slabs and grass, and is reasonably sized at 50ft wide and 40ft deep.
19A Leahy’s Terrace, Sandymount, Dublin 4
Agent: DNG Central Price: €1.35 million Size: 3,660sq ft /340sq m
For those with a penchant for ultra-modern homes, 19A certainly ticks that box. Unapologetically modern in appearance, the three-storey home stands at the end of a Victorian terrace and is conveniently located about five minutes on foot from Sandymount Village and the sea.
Inside the three-storey split-level property there are three reception rooms, a kitchen-cum-diningroom, four bedrooms, three en-suite bathrooms, a WC and a family bathroom. Currently a blank canvas with no furniture, the property was purchased unfinished in 2011 for €800,000 and is now brought to the market in turnkey condition.
The house is generally finished to a high standard; the kitchen, however, which is located in the basement to the front of the house, is somewhat disappointing in layout.
On the plus side, the house is relatively inexpensive on a price per square foot basis, at €369 per square foot, and while the landscaped garden may be limited, at 35ft long, not all buyers have large gardens at the top of their list. With a BER B2 , the house is one of the most energy efficient high-end homes available.
Given the uniqueness of the property, it is difficult to compare it with any of its neighbours. However, 3 Leahy’s Terrace, a smaller mid-terrace period house split into five flats and requiring refurbishment, went sale agreed this year with an asking price of €875,000.
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