Detached, refurbished, good to go

Killiney property feels like new after refurb

A bright suburban house has been given a makeover so total that it feels a lot like a newbuild. It has the kind of features many buyers expect in new homes – wooden floors, underfloor heating, marble-tiled bathrooms, polished granite counter-tops in the kitchen – and then some.

For example, solar panels heat all the water from March to October, there is surround sound, lots of insulation, triple-glazed windows and it has been completely rewired.

The young Ukrainian couple who live here designed and carried out the refurbishment themselves – the husband is a building contractor whose company (Vitas & Co) specialises in extensions and renovations.

Now 5 Killiney Hill Road, a 1,808sq ft (168sq m) four-bed, is for sale by private treaty through Sherry FitzGerald for a high price of €800,000. The house is one of a small development of 1980s detached homes at the bottom of Killiney Hill Road, just before the entrance to the Bayview estate.

The front door opens into a porcelain-tiled porch and on into an oak-floored hall made bright by a rooflight over the stairwell. There is a long livingroom on the right of the hall with an ornate fireplace and custom-built shelving; on the other side of the hall is a small study with built-in units. There is also a cloakroom and guest toilet at the back of the hall and neat understairs storage in the shape of pull-out drawers.

The extended kitchen/diningroom/family room at the back of the house is a large, bright space, with a Velux over the family room and wide French windows opening into the garden. The painted tulipwood kitchen units are hand-crafted, there is a dual gas hob and convection cooker and a big American fridge.

Upstairs, there is a tiled family bathroom, three medium-sized double bedrooms and a large main bedroom with sliderobes in a dressingroom area; this opens into a fully-tiled en-suite shower room.

The sheltered back garden has a patio and a children’s play area. A good-sized shed with lots of storage has been built at the side of the house. There is room to park two cars in the front garden, and electronic gates.

Frances O'Rourke

Frances O'Rourke

Frances O'Rourke, a contributor to The Irish Times, writes about homes and property