Sea views for some can be a nice added extra when it comes to property, but by no means a must. However, when it comes to the Old Rectory in Skerries, I challenge any viewer not to be moved by the vistas.
While the recent spell of good weather has left many of us hankering to be close to water, for fresh air if nothing else, sometimes a good old storm is a welcome catharsis, reminding us that nature is the real boss. There is an entire tourist industry in Canada devoted to storm-watching in winter.
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The Old Rectory has super sea views to the rear that stretch all the way to Rockabill Lighthouse and Shenick Island (accessible by foot at low tide), and a small gate leads to the beach from the rear garden.
Retirement
The owners of the property, which lies at the start of Holmpatrick Terrace, purchased the house in 2014 for €1.5million, around 50 per cent above the listed estimate. They had no intention of living in the house long-term; the real attraction was the substantial grounds alongside the house, where they have now built their dream – and retirement – house. The two houses could not be more different: an elegant Victorian which faces the road, and a vast, contemporary house, complete with separate artist and music studios, facing the sea.
Not much has been done to the house, where the owners lived for 2½ years while constructing the new home, with the exception of fresh coats of paint and new carpets. Though it is in good order, new owners will want to update the house in areas – the kitchen is as it was when built in the 1980s, and there is scope and precedence to extend to the rear to maximise the views.
Three levels
The house, set over three levels, extends to 290sq m (3,121sq ft), and has four fine bedrooms. Two bright reception rooms are at hall level, and a further livingroom lies off the kitchen at garden level.
The gardens, though reduced in size, are still ample, and a glance at the aerial photographs show that they are of a similar size to those of their neighbours along the terrace.
“One of the nicest things about the views is that there is no light pollution, so on moonlit nights the water is silver,” says the owner.
The Old Rectory is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald asking €1.075 million.
