£2.5m-plus Victorian makes a big impression

Lisney expects a price in excess of £2.5 million (€3.175m) for Tanrego, an impressive Victorian house on an acre of grounds with a separate mews house on Avoca Avenue, Blackrock. It goes to auction on April 4th.

The five-bedroom three-storey house - with its lawns, orchard and tennis court - has been home to the same family for about 20 years and is extremely comfortable and well kept.

Although it does not appear to need renovation, at this level of the market, new owners often like to put their stamp on a property by refurbishing and redecorating on a grand scale.

Ideal for a large family, or as a home with offices or consulting rooms, Tanrego has an enviable amount of space.

The main house is over 5,000 sq ft, and the coachhouse has a large storage area on the ground floor with a two-bedroom flat overhead.

A superb hallway and grand reception rooms on either side are rescued from total formality by the amount of light flowing in through tall elegant windows.

The drawingroom in particular is a lovely room with its honey-coloured walls, polished timber floor and striking marble fireplace.

This room leads into a smaller family room overlooking the back garden. The diningroom on the other side of the hall is a very big room with a monumental white carved marble fireplace. An inner hall has a staircase rising to the upper floor and landings. A bedroom and bathroom lead off the first landing. On the first floor, the main bedroom, with en suite bathroom and semi-circular sunroom, comes with two further bedrooms while the top landing leads to a bedroom, shower room and walk-in hot press. All the bedrooms are large doubles.

The lower hall landing has a small study leading off it. On the ground floor there is a kitchen and diningroom, along with a bedroom, sittingroom, cellars, two utility rooms and a tiny playroom.

The kitchen is undoubtedly dated, with its bright red Aga and black formica units, but it's a very warm cheerful room that benefits from its floor-to-ceiling windows which overlook the lawned back garden.

There is also access to a large yard at the side of the house which connects it to the mews.

With its separate pedestrian entrance, the mews is far enough away from the house to be hived off as a separate home, subject to the necessary planning permission.

The guide price for Tanrego may prove conservative on auction day. A similar property on Avoca Avenue fetched £3.1 million (€3.937m) at auction last June.