Staging a top end home for sale is often considered money well spent. A ready furnished premises is styled to give would-be buyers a polished, walk-in-and-hang-your-hat vibe.
But developer James O’Flynn of Jamor Developments favours what he calls a “naked showhouse” route when it comes to number 125 Lansdowne Park.
His thinking is that the stripped-back approach means there is no hiding the structure behind distracting furniture and furnishings. “You have to reveal the work,” he says.
But looking at the property online the images feature a series of swishly decorated rooms. This is because the property has been digitally staged for sale. “It shows it off to its true potential,” explains Ross Killeen of Media Pro, himself a former agent.
It’s a service that costs between €200 and €300, a sum vastly cheaper than the €7,000-plus that stagers can often charge to rent furniture and fixtures for the duration of a property sale.
When O’Flynn bought the property in 2014 it was a car park to the rear of a big house on Northumberland Road. Now it is an A3-rated, detached four-bed home laid out over three floors. It feels like a quality build from the moment you enter (it was viewed before lockdown).
At 181sq m/1,948sq ft it will give some of the period red-bricks on the surrounding streets a run for their money. Built five years ago it has been rented on a corporate basis since, and is now seeking €1.25 million through Susan Slevin, partner with selling agent DNG.
It is not dissimilar in fact to a five-bed 297sq mhome, 85 Nutley Lane, that O’Flynn brought to market in late 2018. It had an AMV of €2.25million and sold that October for €2.5million.
This property comes with the same high-spec finish, triple glazing throughout and under-floor heating. At entrance level ceiling heights are 2.6m with a smart living room to the front where a box bay window overlooks the sandstone, cobbled front. Solid teak double doors, each weighing more than 50kg, lead through to the kitchen. The same internal doors are used in every room.
The kitchen, by Sean Wynn carpentry, has Neff appliances and dental moulding on the cabinetry, a decorative flourish is also evident in the bedroom wardrobes. The dark polished granite counter tops feature gorgeous veining but apart from this detail every room is bare.
The southwest facing garden is already mature and a real selling point. Set out in low maintenance, evergreen planting that offers extra privacy, it has a small central landing strip of artificial grass. The rest is paved in golden sandstone, with plant motifs etched on the stone at intervals.
A cut string staircase leads up to the first floor where there are two en suite bedrooms. The front room is painted Apple White, a spring green shade by Dulux, while the master, to the rear has a large, windowed en suite shower room.
There are two more bedrooms on the second floor, accessed via the same deep pile carpet sourced from Furlong Flooring.
The property is hidden from view behind high electric gates and has off-street parking for up to two vehicles.
The house is within a few minutes walk of Bath Avenue’s bars and restaurants as well as the buzzy new retail offerings on Shelbourne Road. Lansdowne Road Dart station is a similar distance.
