Booterstown Wood, a development of 62 apartments in two blocks over a double basement at the junction of Booterstown Avenue and the N11, was built by Brian M Durkan and Company on behalf of Irish Nationwide in 2011.
It remains the legacy of the Irish Nationwide Building Society’s foray into the property market. The high-end units were sold at prices that were half of boom- time values, reputed to be less than their actual built costs.
Number 62, which is listed as having sold for €295,154 in 2012, is a penthouse unit extending to a generous 93sq m (1,001sq ft).
The property is nicely positioned to the side, away from the busy junction, and has great views from the floor-to-ceiling windows and doors throughout.
Even the two bedrooms – one of which is en suite – have full-height walls of glass with small balconies, but it is the roof terrace that will really catch a buyer’s eye.
Accessed from the open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, through sets of sliding doors, it is quite an incredible space as it extends to 200sq m – a rarity for apartments in Dublin, unless you have a few million to spend on a penthouse in Ballsbridge.
The views are superb and take in Killiney Hill all the way over to Howth and the Poolbeg peninsula.
Landscaper’s dream
The apartment is in excellent order, but very little has been done with the terrace considering its scope. At the moment there are just a few potted plants and a dining table, but what could be accomplished here would be a landscaper’s dream.
For downsizers, especially those who have come from a home with a garden, and are used to an outdoor space, it offers opportunity for development and is the real selling point of the apartment.
New owners could look at what garden designer Mary Reynolds accomplished at 59 Forbes Quay in Grand Canal Dock. The two terraces there combined were the size of this single terrace at Booterstown Wood.
Yes, on a gusty day the force of wind hits you head on, but the smart use of shrubbery or indeed Perspex could shield the space and still allow views.
As for entertaining, the whole area would happily accommodate a good-sized party, should you be willing to gamble with the Irish weather.
Number 5, a 78sq m (859sq ft) ground-floor unit with no private terrace, sold in 2020 for €417,250.
Number 62, which has two underground parking spaces and lovely communal gardens, has annual management fees of €1,900, and is on the market through Eoin O’Neill seeking €575,000.
