The Irish Times, Thursday, July 7th 2016
All over certain parts of Dublin, you can spot the houses that have had “it” done to them: gentrification. And there’s no harm in that. Gravel makes a very useful front garden surface, astroturf is much easier to keep out back, plus electric gates are just so convenient, are they not?
101 Church Road, in the East Wall area of Dublin 3, has all these and more. Bought by the current owner in April 2015 for €135,000, it has since been knocked into shape, extended and generally done up, to turn around; and is now back on the market at €395,000 with Owen Reilly property consultants. So what does more than double the original price buy?
The owner, John Doyle, bought the house as an investment and, having done this sort of thing before, knows what he’s doing. He invested in stripping back the accumulated decor of time and tenants, rewired, replumbed and insulated. This latter has been done so well, the house has gone from a G rating to B2. Not bad for an Edwardian house built back in 1906, and remaining original features include the fireplace in the sitting room, some plasterwork and woodwork.
He also extended to the rear to create an exceptionally stylish open-plan kitchen/living space with French windows to the back garden at one end, and a solid fuel stove cosying- up the other. In fact, the whole house is stylishly done in an urban professional kind of a way that makes it a possible investment for the next owner too.
But were you to buy to live, rather than let, you’d be living in a 105sq m (1,130sq ft) three- bedroomed house (all doubles, although the smallest would be a snug fit) with a very snazzy bathroom. The bedrooms all have built-in wardrobes / storage, and there’s attic space for more of your stuff above.
The area is close to the city centre, IFSC and East Point Business Park. There’s a terrace of shops opposite, a Lidl and Aldi competing for your attention nearby, and the road is a mix of houses that have been owner-occupied for generations, and those that appear, like this, have been snapped up to be turned around. If investment is on your mind, compare it with the smaller number 48 with 61sq m (657sq ft), which has two bedrooms and less of the Edwardian-charm-meets-upwardly-mobile makeover, on sale with DNG at €265,000.
And if you’re not in the market to invest, I’d still suggest making an appointment to view, if only to come away with some home-decorating inspiration for your own home. There are some super design ideas going on, a lovely choice of paint colours – and the carpets, curtains and light fittings? They’re all included in the price.
The Irish Times, Thursday, July 7th 2016
To read the full article on-line, please click here.
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