Rathdown Villas is a quiet cul-de-sac off Rathdown Park in Terenure. The avenue consists of a number of Stringer-built family homes and the recent addition of terraced townhouses. From nearby Highfield Road, builder JA Stringer constructed houses which today have a reputation as solid, stylish suburban family homes. Dating from the mid-1930s, this double-fronted property has prominent bay windows, high ceilings, coving and picture rails, in keeping with the styles of the period.
Interconnected
The semi-detached house, standing at 200sq m (2,152sq ft) has three reception rooms: a small livingroom which would have been a parlour to the left of the entrance, and, for grander entertaining, interconnecting drawing and diningrooms on the right.
Underneath the carpets, which are in good condition if a little dated, lies original pine flooring which new owners may want to reveal.
The current owners added a quarry-tiled conservatory to the rear of the diningroom which has direct access to the garden. This and the kitchen are also a little dated, and new owners have huge scope to create a large open-plan living/dining and kitchen space by amalgamating both rooms. A small study sits off the kitchen, as does a shower room.
The utility runs alongside the house and is accessed by a side gate and from the kitchen, and offers lots of storage space for bikes and sports gear.
Upstairs are four bedrooms, one with an en suite, and a good-sized family bathroom. There is also potential to convert the attic, which has been floored and has had Velux windows installed.
The real selling point of 4 Rathdown Villas, besides its size and location, is the immense garden to the rear. It stretches to over 36.5 m (120ft) in length and is one of the larger gardens in the locality. There are endless possibilities to increase the living space, subject to planning, or simply landscape the lot to keep enthusiasts busy for decades.
Houses in this area are in demand and command in the region of €1 million. Number 1 sold in June 2014 for €920,000 and Number 8 sold in 2010 for €1.065 million. Number 4 is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald with an asking price of €1.25 million.
