Situated just off the N11 in Dublin – opposite the Old Dublin Road and Oatlands College – is Priory Drive, Blackrock, a suburban side street of large semis many of which have been upgraded and extended to maximise every inch of living space. Almost all the houses on the street have converted the garage and built above it to add to the accommodation.
Number 42 is one such property. The owners have lived here for 35 years, and the five-bed house, which now measures 180sq m/1,938sq ft, has simply become too big for their requirements.
The house has been added to over the years. A porch was introduced to the front and the extra space allowed them to turn the garage, to the right of the hall, into a family room.
The living room is a long room with polished wood floors, a marble fireplace and a gas fire insert. It has a trio of windows to the sunny front, which faces south.
Glass doors lead through to a good sized dining room that overlooks the garden. With roof lights, a vaulted ceiling and wooden beams. its glass doors open out to the patio where there is a long north-facing garden, big enough to capture the sun. Measuring 100ft, it is also private. It borders Mount Merrion Pitch and Putt Club, and its entrance is on Priory Drive.
The kitchen, renovated in 2009, is housed in an area that was also probably part of the original garage. Ceiling heights here are low (2.2m), and while the space lacks natural light the adjacent cosy den has glass sliding doors that bring light in.
While the extension work is not seamless it affords a family plenty of growing room, with spaces for teenage kids to hang out. The den is ideal for keeping a watchful eye on smaller kids from the kitchen.
There are five bedrooms upstairs. The main bedroom overlooks the garden and it has a bright, naturally lit shower en suite. Three of the bedrooms are singles. The other double is to the front, and has the same trio of windows that feature in the living room.
The property is for sale for €895,000 through agent DNG.
Across the street Number 19 is also for sale. Measuring 168sq m/1,808sq ft it has four bedrooms, two singles and two doubles, the main with a shower en suite, an attic conversion and full planning for a large two-storey extension that would expand the living room and add a master bedroom upstairs. It has a south-facing garden and is seeking €950,000 through agent SherryFitzGerald.
