Research carried out in 2018 found that buyers will pay up to 32 per cent more for a property with a sea view. The same analysis also found that rental income from properties with a view of the coast is also higher.
At Koti, on Cunningham Road in Dalkey, it is all about the sea views, though the photographs do not quite capture the panorama.
The five-bed property is located at the end of a tree-lined driveway, accessed through old granite pillars. It was constructed in 1978, along with two other houses. They were built in the grounds of Ardbrugh House, the Victorian detached property which sold in 2012 for €2.65 million.
While the 205sq m (2,200sq ft) house is in need of renovation, and the BER of G is something new owners will certainly want to address, there is huge scope to bring the house up to date and take more advantage of the maritime vistas.
Modernist designs
"We have sold a few sites with sea views recently for in and around the million-euro mark," says estate agent Vincent Finnegan who is handling the sale.
“The designs for houses on these sites are generally for modernist homes, and now that science and technology have caught up with design, it is possible to build truly unique modern homes that are warm too; whereas in the past although great to look at, they might have been cold with damp issues.”
Finnegan says a number of architects have looked at the property, and all of them agree that the top floor could be removed and a new floor added in its place. “This new design could give the house in the region of 4,000sq ft – almost double what it is now,” he says, adding that one architect has drawn up a design for a template of what could be achieved. “Planning should not be an issue as you are not looking for an extra storey, you are just replacing the current one.”
Move upstairs
Keeping this in mind, and the fact that the views are best from upstairs, it would make sense to invert the property by putting the living space on the first floor to take advantage of views of Dublin Bay and the harbour at Dún Laoghaire all the way across to the city.
Koti is located just a short walk from the seaside village of Dalkey, and the Dart stop can be reached in under two minutes. The property is on the market seeking €1.6 million.
