There’s been much talk of the pent-up demand for family homes in south county Dublin and how prices are outstripping those in other areas due to lack of supply. Ganly Walters will test this theory when it puts Braddan, Upper Churchtown Road in Dublin 14, to auction on March 6th with a bullish AMV of €875,000.
Where once it was common to see relatively modest suburban houses going to auction, it has become very rare in the past two years with mostly only grand period houses, often bank sales, now going under the hammer.
That’s not the case here. The owners of Braddan are downsizing. The house has been in the same family since it was built in the 1930s and the current owner moved in just over 50 years ago.
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Attic rooms
It's a big move after so long and they put the house on the market, quietly, last year but now having changed agent are keen to see what happens in the auction rooms.
The owners did a considerable amount of work over the years, dramatically increasing the detached bungalow’s size to 265sq m (2,850sq ft). The living accommodation was extended to make room for a large eat-in kitchen, a living area and a conservatory.
An open-thread staircase in the hall leads to the two rooms in the attic – not officially bedrooms due to ceiling height but used by the current owners as home offices. There’s a small television room and four bedrooms.
More than 20 years ago the owners built a self-contained apartment to the side for a family member. It was well planned with two bedrooms, a good-sized kitchen, a bathroom, and a livingroom which looks out on the back garden.
There are two entrances, one opening discreetly into the main house, the other out to the side so it works as an independent unit – an attractive proposition for someone who needs a smart granny flat.
There were three similar houses built on the Upper Churchtown Road at the time, each on a generous third of an acre plot.
Two entrances
One of these was bought and demolished some years ago to make way for a much larger house and prospective buyers might be eyeing up Braddan with similar plans.
Even if they are not so ambitious and want to work with what’s there they will still want to update this comfortable family home, starting with a new bathroom and kitchen.
The house is well back from the busy main road and there are two entrances allowing easy access back onto the road. There is parking for several cars.
