Garden surprise on Shelbourne Road just a stroll from the Aviva

Few roads in Dublin are undergoing a metamorphosis of such scale and style as Shelbourne Road, with several vast glass-walled sleek office developments – as well as the upmarket Lansdowne Place apartment scheme – under construction.

Further along the Dublin 4 road, at the more residential end towards the Bath Avenue intersection, one side is lined with period houses of varying styles. Along this stretch there is also an entrance to the Aviva Stadium. Number 54 is a two-storey mid-terrace house built in the 1840s. The owners, who are now downsizing, bought more than 20 years ago, living in the four-bed house for several years before modernising and extending. One of the reasons they bought the house allowed for the build: the long rear garden which backs onto the Dart line. Even after the extension the garden is still about 29m long. Another feature that appealed to them – and is likely to appeal to buyers now – was the good-sized front livingroom which has an open fire and polished floorboards.

Large living area

Living in the house before extending gave them a clear idea of what they wanted: a large living area with space for a couple of sofas, a family-sized dining table and a fitted kitchen with an island. Several large rooflights as well as glazed double doors and a picture window make this a bright room. The work also made space for a good-sized utility room and a downstairs shower-room and brought the house up to 184sq m (1,984sq ft).

Upstairs, the four bedrooms are three doubles and one single, and there is a family bathroom, which was renovated when the extension was built about 15 years ago. New owners might update the bathroom and will probably decorate to their own taste. If they don’t need four bedrooms they may also consider knocking the two bedrooms to the front into one large room with two sash windows, as it probably was when the house was built.

This part of the terrace is set back from the road and there is off-street parking for one car to the front.

Number 54 Shelbourne Road is for sale through Hunters Estate Agent asking €1.085 million.