House of the future: An A-rated three-bed in Dublin 7 for €495k

Just as the country was about to be locked down in March 2020, a developer of infill sites closed on a warehouse on Blessington Court, a dog-leg-shaped side street that connects Blessington Street to the warren of redbrick cottages off Dorset Street, in central Dublin.

The warehouse, which is still listed online as 5 Blessington Court, had an asbestos roof and had been vacant for more than 15 years. The 246sq m property was purchased by Sadlier Developments. Its new owner removed everything bar the four external walls, divided the property into two dwellings, and “insulated the hell out of them”, he says.

He wanted to make the property A-rated, so he brought in a Ber assessor from the get-go. Under Nearly Zero Energy Building, or NZEB, regulations, homes that have been refurbished to this extent are required to have a B2 building-energy rating. This 117sq m house goes further than that, with an impressive A3 rating. It could be a really good home for families looking for accommodation for college-going kids.

It is in walk-in condition, with a guest toilet downstairs, a home office or fourth bedroom, and a separate large open-plan kitchen-living-dining room where the ceilings are more than 2.5m high. There’s even a decent-sized laundry room under the stairs, to keep noisy appliances out of the living space.

It is smartly appointed throughout. Although it is south-facing, it is single aspect, so on dark winter evenings you may need additional light sources. There is also no outside space.

Upstairs are three en-suite bedrooms. Two are sizeable. Housemates will probably flip a coin to see who gets the third bedroom, the smallest of the three, but if you removed the desk there would be space here for a double bed. As it is, all rooms have space for a study desk as well as built-in wardrobes and pristine en-suite shower rooms that have lightwells to help bring in daylight.

About a 10-minute walk from O’Connell Street, the house would suit some very lucky students whose parents might be on the hunt for a pad that they can live in and perhaps rent a room or rooms to help with the mortgage.

The property is seeking €495,000 through agents O’Connor Shannon. The developer is keeping the second unit, number 1b, to live in.