It’s clear from the exterior that the detached bungalow at 13 Iris Grove in Mount Merrion has had a makeover in recent years – there are new windows and porch door and a cobblelock driveway with parking for a couple of cars – but what isn’t immediately obvious is the scale of the work.

What was once a modest 1930s double-fronted bungalow is now a 228sq m/2,454sq ft, four-bedroom home with a two-storey extension to the rear that was built to carefully blend in with the house’s original style, including matching roof tiles.

The 0.3 acre site – Mount Merrion houses were typically built on generous plots – means that the other surprise about this house is the 64m/210 ft rear garden.

Not just that, it is a fine mature garden, entirely private, stocked with a vast array of interesting shrubs, trees and flowers all looking their best at this time of year. It’s so long that it is divided into two – at the far end, through a trellised arch is a secret garden complete with timber play house. There’s also a patio with barbecue area.

There are now three reception rooms – two to the front with the one on the left side opening into a third room, used as a formal dining room, with rooflights high up in its pitched ceiling.

The large eat-in kitchen to the rear opens to the back garden and is fitted with timber units and a granite-topped island. A separate utility room opens out to a side passage.

There are two bedrooms downstairs – one has an en suite and there is also a family bathroom – and two upstairs, one with en suite and dressing room. That’s a layout that will appeal to both downsizers and growing families.

The house, now an executors’ sale, is being shown unfurnished after its tenants have left which is a pity as it is not looking its best, though it’s easy to see how a comprehensive paint job would brighten it all up. There is a garage to the side.

Number 13 Iris Grove is in a short cul-de-sac off St Thomas’s Road, and it is for sale through Lisney asking €1.55 million.