Extended three-bed by the river in Rathfarnham for €795,000

Public parks came into their own during the lockdowns, with walkers notching up their 10,000 steps discovering areas and roads in their own neighbourhoods that they never particularly noticed before. This quiet stretch of Rathfarnham’s Lower Dodder Road is an example – houses, mostly semi-ds or detached bungalows line one side of it and they face on to the River Dodder, with a bridge to cross into the linear park and to Bushy Park.

Prices have risen along here, as appreciation of the amenities offered by suburban green spaces have grown. When the owners bought number 57 Lower Dodder Road – in 2017, for €725,000 – the standard three-bed semi with side garage had already been extended and upgraded, work that brought it to 123sq m (1,324sq ft). The garage had been converted into a playroom and the kitchen extended and updated with new units, skylights and double doors out to a raised timber deck. Double doors from the interconnecting reception rooms also open to the deck, which has steps down to the lawn.

To the rear, the house faces south. Upstairs again the layout is familiar: two double bedrooms and a single with a family bathroom that was also updated by previous owners. Since it last changed hands it has been redecorated in a neutral style.

The current owners are trading up and this house will likely be bought by a family looking for a well-located house in walk-in condition that offers potential for expansion. The most obvious is to do what other houses along the road have done and extend to the side for a fourth bedroom and up to the attic for a fifth.

The kitchen features an island unit in the centre with high stools used for dining but the space might work better as a family-friendly area if that were removed and replaced with a larger dining table. For a house that was so recently updated the Ber is a disappointing E1, so work will probably be done to raise that.

To the front there is off-street parking for three or four cars. Mullery O’Gara is the agent, and the asking price is €795,000.