When the Celtic Tiger ground to a halt, family homes in Dublin’s most expensive areas experienced astronomical price drops.
Since then, prices have risen dramatically, however there are still some fine houses with ample room to extend for sale in Dublin’s most popular areas offering strong discounts from their boom time highs.
39 Greygates, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin (Above)
Price: €885,000 Agent: Savills Size: 167sq m (1,798sq ft)
Around the corner from Sycamore Road, 39 Greygates is a very different proposition. Fronting onto the busy N11, Greygates is evidently less serene than neighbouring Mount Merrion roads, however it offers the same quality Kenny-built residences and fantastic southwest-facing gardens.
Despite the booming market in Dublin, Number 39 was first offered for sale unsuccessfully in 2014 for €1.15 million and now, following two price drops, is for sale at €885,000. Having been extended in 1994, the house enjoys a modern layout with an open-plan kitchen and dining room to the rear, opening out to the sun-drenched 41 m rear garden with its lush green lawn. There are two separate reception rooms, garage, WC and utility room.
Upstairs there are four bedrooms, one with en suite bathroom, and a family bathroom.
The carefully maintained house has been updated in the past two decades, however the decor is now looking tired. Despite this, it is the kind of house with which buyers can do as little or as much as they wish – it is a practical family home as is, however there is scope to extend to both the side and rear and to redecorate to suit any buyer’s requirements.
At the bottom of the market, neighbouring properties sold for as little as €400,000 – the best value being 33 Greygates, which sold for a mere €475,000 with an exceptional 0.32 acre rear garden.
In 2005, 29 Greygates sold for €1.2 million, requiring modernisation.
51 Sycamore Road, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin
Price: €845,000 Agent: DNG Size: 160sq m (1,722sq ft)
Mount Merrion epitomises residential suburbia, and Sycamore Road is undoubtedly one of the most coveted streets in the area thanks to its variety of attractive homes, well-stocked front gardens and sizeable rear gardens. A testament to the road's desirability – a modest semi- on Sycamore Road was the address of choice for Liam Carroll during his reign as one of Ireland's most prolific developers, before eventually relocating to a larger detached home on adjoining Sycamore Crescent as the boom drew to a close.
Number 51 is an instantly appealing pre-war Kenny-built residence. While the house dates from the 1930s, the decor and rear extension are very clearly later mid-century interventions.
Downstairs there is a sittingroom, breakfast room, drawing room, kitchen and dining room.
Upstairs there are four bedrooms, a bathroom and separate WC.
The kitchen and dining room are contained within the rather uncomplimentary extension that detracts both internally and externally from the original house. It is likely that buyers will replace this extension with a more sympathetic two-storey version.
The home has a 23 m long garden with an excellent southwest orientation. The garden is on the smaller side for this street, however it is wide and perfectly sufficient for most family’s needs.
Only one property has sold on the street since the property price register was introduced.
Number 8 Sycamore Road, a 156sq m semi-detached residence with a 30 m east-facing garden sold in 2010 for €782,000 – a hefty 59 per cent reduction from its 2007 asking price of €1.9 million.
15 Oaklands Drive, Sandymount, Dublin 4
Price: €765,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGerald Size: 135sq m (1,455sq ft)
Located in the heart of Sandymount, Oaklands Drive is a small cul-de-sac off Serpentine Avenue, just minutes from both Sandymount and Ballsbridge villages. With prices rocketing in the past two years, it is not unheard of for unexceptional houses with small gardens and no parking to sell for as high as €700 per square foot in the area. 15 Oaklands Drive, on the other hand, is offered for sale at a more wallet-friendly €525 per square foot, though at this price, work is required.
The house has remained untouched for some time and is currently in need of a full renovation. Currently, there are two elegant reception rooms spanning one side of the house downstairs, along with a garage, kitchen and breakfast room on the other side.
Upstairs there are four bedrooms and a bathroom with separate WC. The home’s main issues at present are the absence of an en suite master bathroom – daunting for any prospective buyer, especially at this price – and the small kitchen and dining area downstairs. Both of these issues could be overcome by introducing a two-storey extension to the rear, which the neighbours at Number 13 have already added. In addition to this they, and numerous other neighbours, have converted the garage to living space.
In 2012 a similar neighbouring property, 17 Oaklands Drive, sold for €450,000. At the height of the boom its neighbour, 18 Oaklands Drive, was seeking €1.5 million, with a very small garden.
15 Oaklands Drive may not be a showstopper, however the large southwest-facing garden is its star selling feature and Sandymount buyers have proven their willingness to pay unprecedented prices for this feature.
Last summer a buyer paid €1.4 million for a 142sq m semi-detached property around the corner at Claremont Park – €425,000 over asking – thanks to its exceptional southwest-facing garden.
