Number 2 Beechmount Drive was a very different house in 2015. When the current owners bought the property 10 years ago, it had been lived in by two friends. The friends divided the house in two so they could both have their own living spaces, which resulted in a house that had two of everything, from doorbells to bathrooms.
It has since undergone a complete renovation, with not much left of the original house, bar the door frame and the external walls at the front. The ground floor was extended, and the garage was converted, with extra accommodation added above it.
With a floor area of 205sq m (2,207sq ft), the semidetached home is on the market through DNG, seeking €1.25m.
The new layout downstairs caters for every situation. At the back is a large open-plan kitchen with units by Glenwise in Kimmage. There is enough room for a living area and dining area, which is ideal when entertaining. Through sliding pocket doors is a cosy TV room with bespoke storage units, also making it a good option for a playroom.
At the front of the house is a livingroom with solid-fuel stove and an office on the other side of the hallway. There is also a guest loo and utility room on the ground floor.
Upstairs there are three double bedrooms. The original box room was taken out and used as an en suite and dressingroom for the main bedroom, as well as to make room for a staircase up to the converted attic. The main bathroom has a separate bath and shower, and the attic has also been plumbed, so new owners could add another bathroom.
[ Double-fronted Victorian home close to the sea in Clontarf for €2.495mOpens in new window ]
The house was renovated with a view that the owners would stay forever, so they put the best of everything into it. There are small things in the house that will make a big difference to daily life such as the laundry chute in the hot press upstairs that goes down to the utility room, and the charging drawer in the kitchen where you can plug in your devices.
The Ber rating was brought up to an impressive B2 following the renovations, which included high levels of insulation, the installation of underfloor heating on the ground floor as well as solar panels on the roof that heat the water. An electric car charging point has also been fitted in the front driveway.
Double doors from the kitchen open out to a patio, which steps down to the lawn of the 40m garden. The mature trees in neighbouring gardens create a real sense of privacy when out in the east-facing garden.
[ Modernised, light-filled home minutes from Blackrock village for €1.395mOpens in new window ]
The area is very popular with families as it has schools, parks, playgrounds, UCD and cafes. Windy Arbour Luas stop is a five-minute walk away. The bus stop around the corner from the house on Bird Avenue is served by the new S4 bus route that runs from UCD to Liffey Valley, as well as the 142, which starts in Portmarnock and ends at UCD.
When the owners completed the project on their home on Beechmount Drive, they thought they would never leave. Their heads have been turned by another house in need of renovation, however, so they feel the time is right to get their hands dirty once again.
