When constructed back in the 1950s, houses in the “Nutleys” – Avenue, Lane and Road – were aimed at growing families and tended to be homes for life. Their attraction was that they were roomy houses, had good-sized gardens and were in a sought-after location close to schools and amenities.
Fast forward 70 years or so and those attractions still remain. What tends to happen here is when new families take ownership, these houses undergo renovations and sometimes expansions too.
Number 20 Nutley Avenue (a quiet road that connects Nutley Lane and Nutley Road) is a fine four-bedroom house extending to 155sq m (1,668sq ft). It has been home to the same family for the past 35 years, who note that little has really changed in the area since they purchased, with the exception of the construction of the Merrion Centre at the end of the road.
Its layout today is similar to what it would have been when first constructed in the 1950s. On the ground floor lie three reception rooms in the manner of a dining-, sitting- and livingroom with a kitchen, utility and shower room, while four bedrooms and the family bathroom lie upstairs.
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The hallway, diningroom and sittingroom all have parquet flooring, which the owners discovered years ago hidden underneath the carpets. “It’s so easy to keep clean and is great for anyone with dust allergies. It only needs a sand and polish every decade,” says the owner about the flooring – which is currently on trend.
Further wood flooring lies in a dual-aspect livingroom to the front and the sittingroom to the rear has the benefit of opening out to the garden.
Spacious gardens, besides the location, are one of the real selling points in relation to properties here. Not only are they long and not overlooked, the rugby fields of St Michael’s College lie to the rear (hidden by a bank of evergreen trees), so there’s not much chance of these fields being developed.
The owner credits his wife for the mature gardens which have silver birch, herbaceous borders and a lovely glasshouse where the last of this season’s tomatoes are still providing for family suppers. Runner beans grow alongside and old apple trees – planted when the houses were constructed more than 70 years ago – still provide a bounty in autumn.
While new owners may want to update the house – as the Ber rating of D2 would benefit from upgrading – there is also scope to extend subject to planning, as many in the area have done thanks to the generous size of the gardens.
The owners love their home and are not moving far as they “love the proximity to just about everything”. The nearest shopping centre is just down the road, St Michael’s College is a five-minute stroll and between the Dart and several buses “you’d never think of taking the car to town”.
The property, which has off-street parking for four or five cars, is now on the market through DNG, seeking €1.295 million.
