A slick new-build in Terenure, a refurbished period cottage in Portobello and a rooftop penthouse in Rathmines with views stretching to the mountains …
Each represents a different moment in a homeowner’s life: the person who is allergic to a renovation project, the couple drawn to a well-executed period restoration, and the downsizer chasing space, light and a lift.
New-build ease in Terenure
Not every buyer wants a fixer-upper, and 46 Fortfield Drive, Terenure is move-in ready. While it was built in 2016, it blends well with the surrounding homes. It’s detached, has three bedrooms, and is well located between Terenure and Templeogue villages.
It also comes with the kind of cosy energy efficiency older housing stock struggles to match: a BER of A3, helped along by an air-to-water heat pump, triple glazing and underfloor heating on the ground floor.
At 107 sq m (1,152 sq ft), the layout is fairly compact but well organised. A bay-windowed room to the front does double duty as a living room or third bedroom, while the heart of the house is the open-plan kitchen-dining area at the rear, where a glass-enclosed spiral staircase acts as a real talking point.
Sliding doors open onto a landscaped garden combining patio and low-maintenance artificial lawn, and there’s also a decent paved front garden with parking, along with an EV charger and a gate wired for an electric opener. It’s the small details that add up here.
There are two double bedrooms upstairs, both with built-in storage, a contemporary family bathroom, plus a utility room to keep the practicalities out of sight.
For anyone weighing up whether new-build gloss can compete with period character, this one makes a decent case – no snag list required – just Bushy Park, a clutch of good schools and Templeogue Tennis Club within easy reach. 46 Fortfield Drive is on the market for €875,000 through Sherry FitzGerald Terenure.
Period polish in Portobello
Double-fronted homes from the 1920s don’t come up often in Portobello, which makes 5 Richmond Row worth a viewing. Tucked just off trendy Lennox Street, the house is on sale for €635,000 through Owen Reilly, and was refurbished and extended in 2019.
Extensive work has seen the owners retain some period details in the form of the black-and-white tiled entrance hall, for example. Largely, though, this home has been reconfigured for modern living and is ideal for fans of city living.
The ground floor is essentially one large open-plan living, dining and kitchen space, with a distinctive blue-painted steel beam left exposed.
Sliding doors at the rear open onto a neat, paved courtyard. While it won’t be for every buyer, this is a smart use of a relatively small footprint, at 67 sq m (721 sq ft) in total.
Upstairs, two double bedrooms include a decently-sized main bedroom that runs the width of the house, complete with plantation shutters and fitted wardrobes. A contemporary shower room, finished with a large walk-in enclosure, has a handy utility area tucked in alongside.
The BER is a B3, respectable for a period property that’s had proper attention paid to its fabric, and the location does plenty of the heavy lifting: Portobello Harbour and Camden Street’s many bars and restaurants are all within walking distance, as is the Luas at Harcourt Street.
Rooftop living in Rathmines
For anyone drawn to the idea of coming home to a wraparound terrace and city views, the penthouse at 31 Rathmines Wood on Ardee Road offers exactly that.
It’s on the market for €850,000 through Sherry FitzGerald Rathmines, and occupies the top floor of this development, with triple-aspect windows and a wide balcony that takes in panoramic views across Dublin city as far as the mountains.
As a two-bedroom apartment, it’s generous at 125 sq m (1,345 sq ft), and the living and dining room alone runs to over 45 sq m, with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides and access to the terrace.
The kitchen is also sizeable, fitted with black granite worktops and a centre island, plus it connects through double doors to the living area, boosting the entertainment potential of this property.
Both bedrooms are doubles with en suites, built-in wardrobes and their own access to the balcony, and there’s a separate guest bathroom off the hallway.
Practical extras include two underground parking spaces, a storage room and a lift, which makes this a genuine option for anyone looking to right-size without giving up space or a garden because the terrace does that job instead.
The BER is C1 while the location, a short stroll from both Rathmines and Ranelagh villages, keeps shops, restaurants and the Luas all within easy reach.
