This weekend 64 years ago Valerie Hade and her family moved to 40 Fortfield Road in Terenure. "It was the heart of the countryside then," recalls Hade. "There was only a couple of houses surrounded by green fields with horses used by the local undertakers. We used to pick apples across the road and my father grew all our vegetables in our back garden."
Today it's a different story at this busy intersection and Hade, having spent a lifetime here, is moving on as "the garden is too big to manage". Indeed, at 32m (105ft) in length, this generous garden is what may attract buyers to number 40. The 127sq m (1,367sq ft) house is up for auction on April 2nd with an AMV of €550,000, through Lisney.
Sunroom
Built in the 1930s, the detached bungalow has oodles of potential. Set back off the main road behind a safe lay-by, the house is incredibly quiet and no traffic is audible from the manicured rear garden. The entire house, with the exception of the kitchen, as it was an extension built pre-1950, has original wooden flooring hidden under the carpets, just waiting for a sand and varnish.
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The two principal rooms, interconnected by a sliding door, are bright, thanks to a large bay window in the drawingroom and French windows in the diningroom. Both rooms have original fireplaces of which there are four in the house.
The kitchen is large and new owners will want to update the current scheme as it is a little dated. A good-sized room off the kitchen has been used as an office but could be used as a utility or playroom.
There are three bedrooms – the master is en suite – and a bright family bathroom.
To the rear of the house are four outhouses: a coal shed; a tool shed; a general shed; and a glazed sunroom that Hade’s father used as a potting shed. To the side of the property is a large garage used as a carport.
The well-tended garden is simply lovely and filled with mature plants including two huge holly trees. It has a pond, walkways and a partially glazed greenhouse that will keep green-fingered owners busy.
Number 40 is the only bungalow left on this part of Fortfield Road – all the neighbours have either extended upwards or to the rear to create much larger houses, and the scope to do just that, coupled with a lovely back garden, is what will attract buyers.
