Dublin 6W: €2.75mRathdown in Terenure, Dublin 6W, has always been a sought-after family enclave because the houses are large, solid semis, many of the roads are leafy cul-de-sacs and it's close to schools and Bushy Park.
The houses were built by three different builders starting in the 1920s with Stringer, who built arguably the most sought-after houses in the estate, followed by Murphy and then Bailey.
Number 22 Rathdown Park, a Stringer-built house, is for auction through Douglas Newman Good on October 18th with an AMV of €2.75 million. It's a strong price, but a Murphy house - admittedly larger - around the corner sold last month through the same agent for €3.27 million.
This house has been in the same family for more than 30 years and they are now trading down to a smaller property. They are clearly keen gardeners as the back garden - at nearly 430ft long - is a gem which is beautifully planted and mature with shrubs, trees and flowers and still plenty of room for any amount of kids' paraphernalia. There is a large patio directly outside the back door.
Inside, one of the most attractive features is the large, square-shaped hall - which always makes a house feel roomier - although at 213sq m (2,300sq ft)this is an above average-sized family house.
There are two interconnecting reception rooms, a large family room at the back and an eat-in kitchen extended by the family. The ceilings are higher than expected and the bay windows give the livingroom and the upstairs bedrooms a great feeling of space.
Upstairs there are four double bedrooms: the largest, to the front, could easily take an en suite. There is a garage to the side and many houses in the area have extended into or at least over this area - something new owners might want to explore, subject to planning permission.
Many homeowners in the area have also taken advantage of the large spacious landing to go up into the attic. If more room isn't required, the immediate work new owners will want to do is to update the bathrooms and the kitchen and maybe modernise some of the decoration. There's off street parking for two cars.
