Even after decades of constant expansion, the seaside village of Malahide has managed to maintain its traditional village atmosphere and is one of Dublin’s most desirable suburbs. From sailing clubs to restaurants and boutiques, the north Dublin suburb has something for everyone, and so does its property market. The following are three properties to suit a range of budgets.
42 Abington, Malahide, Co Dublin
€2.2 million, Sherry FitzGerald, 491sq m (5,288sq ft)
Perhaps Malahide’s best-known address, Abington has attracted prominent business and entertainment figures since it was launched in 2000.
Number 42 was constructed in 2001 and is one of five similar three-storey houses developed by Parkway Properties, which built about half the estate and sold the remainder of sites to individuals for self-builds.
Number 42’s dark green suspended conservatory, roof light and trellis compliment the home’s yellow-brick façade perfectly. There is a large entrance hall, two reception rooms, an expansive open-plan kitchen-cum-living and dining room, a bathroom and a wonderful south-facing sun room. Both the sunroom and kitchen open out to a raised terrace, which overlooks the vast and landscaped east-facing garden.
Upstairs at first-floor level there is a huge master bedroom suite with bathroom and dressing room. There are three other bedrooms at this level, one with its own bathroom and the other two sharing a Jack-and-Jill-style en suite. The garden level has a further two bedrooms and bathrooms along with a games room and office. There is also a double garage with utility room to the side of the house. The home’s décor is tasteful, modern, luxurious and comfortable, with no ridiculously large rooms.
Prices in Abington were originally €2.16 million-€2.55 million when first sold off-plan in 2000 and rose to near the €4 million mark before the recession took hold. Since then, a half-dozen houses have sold for prices from €1.3 million-€1.8 million, but some of these were sold requiring some refurbishment.
The most recent sale was number 50, a stunning 584sq m home, owned by Yvonne and Ronan Keating, which achieved €2.45 million in 2014.
67 Ard na Mara, Malahide, Co Dublin
€890,000, O’Farrell Cleere, 212sq m (2,282sqft)
Constructed in 1965, Ard na Mara was Malahide’s first housing estate and remains one of its best and most desirable.
The low-density estate comprises more than 150 large dormer bungalows and number 67 is a particularly good example, enjoying a large corner site with extensive interior space. The majority of this space is at ground-floor level, with a spacious entrance hall, two reception rooms, kitchen, utility, garage, three bedrooms and a family bathroom. Upstairs two bedrooms, a bathroom and an office complete the accommodation. The house has clearly been well maintained throughout by its owners and a new kitchen and bathroom have recently been fitted. Buyers will, however, undoubtedly wish to redecorate most of the house and may even opt to extend.
These 1960s homes may not be the prettiest but they offer great potential and generous proportions.
This is especially evident from the two upstairs bedrooms, with the master bedroom extending to about 29sq m (312sq ft). Another key feature is its garden, which surrounds the house on three sides and affords most rooms southerly and westerly light.
At the height of the market in 2006, corner houses such as this were asking prices of over €1.8 million. The most recent house to have sold on the estate was a few doors away at number 72, which sold for €857,500 in August. That house was smaller and, not being a corner house, offered far less garden space but had a more modern décor.
7 Fairhaven, Malahide, Co Dublin
€180,000, Kevin Flanigan, 51sqm (550sqft)
Located in the heart of the village, Fairhaven is a small development of 14 apartments built in 1991. Number 7 is an own-door ground-floor apartment, which is the least expensive property on the market in Malahide at present. The apartment’s location affords easy access to Dublin city via the DART, with Malahide train station just three minutes from its front door. It also has a designated parking space.
Inside, a small porch leads into the open-plan livingroom and kitchen, which feature a breakfast bar and decorative fireplace. The U-shaped kitchen is surprisingly large by one-bedroom apartment standards. The double bedroom has built-in wardrobes and also offers access to the apartment’s small private patio.
It is probable that potential owner-occupiers would redecorate the apartment, with the wood-clad bath in particular seeming rather outdated.
Originally costing about €63,000 (£50,000) back in 1991, prices rose to over €210,000 by 2002. One fortunate buyer managed to pick one up at the bottom of the market in 2012 at one of Allsop’s first auctions for €105,000, but number 7’s asking price is realistic in the current market.
The selling agent also sold a two-bed duplex in the development for €260,000 last year – considerably above its asking price.
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