Sunny Sandycove house opened up by clever design touches for €1.59m

Homes in turnkey condition are very much in demand in the current market. With inflation on the rise and material costs increasing buyers have neither the appetite nor in many cases the access to funds to indulge in a renovation project for they often have to factor in six to nine months of rent to pay on top of the other costs.

The owners of 65 Lower Albert Road in Sandycove have put a huge amount of effort into reimagining the double-fronted, villa-style, terraced house to deliver a cracking family abode where there is space for everyone and every life stage from toddlers to teens and even young adults.

They bought it almost five years ago, in May 2017. Back then they paid €1.02million for it, according to the Property Price Register, and set about enlarging it.

They amped up the insulation levels, which include deep, insulated slabs underfoot, and invested in a mechanical ventilation system to turn the period property into a B1-rated residence.

And the hard work has paid off. The owner currently pays €300 a month in energy bills for a property that now extends to 250sq m (2475sq ft). Even better, they switch off the heat completely in April and don’t turn it on again until October. In a world of rising energy costs this is a comforting selling point and one homebuyers will likely want to hear more of.

The two rooms to the front have retained their period charm with ceiling heights of 2.9m, triple-glazed sash-style windows and shutters and engineered wide-plank flooring underfoot.

One is set up as a home office and has bookcases painted forest green. The room across the hall is currently bedroom number four, but could also be a home office or playroom.

The rest of the property has been built to a design by Node Architecture that starts with tall steel and glass doors that fold back to open the inner hall to the kitchen.

The kitchen, which is a triple-aspect space, features a design by Enigma that mixes the marine blue of the seaside setting with iroko-fronted units to enrich the look. The social space, which includes stools at the breakfast island, opens directly out to a small, south-facing courtyard and leads through to a gorgeous pitched-roof living/dining room.

The photographs of this part of the house don’t really do the rooms justice. Sliding doors open out to a large patio area that is paved in a pristine-looking marble-look porcelain. The large square garden is set out in lawn, faces west and very private. It includes vehicular side access from Violet Lane and this is where the owners winter their boat.

Secreted off the hall is a music-cum-playroom that has a fan-shaped internal window allowing you to keep an eye on smaller kids without them feeling like they’re being surveyed. Its one of the many clever design ideas in the property.

On the other side of the hall is a sizeable utility where there is plenty of counter and floorspace and direct access out to a private courtyard where you can dry clothes naturally but out of sight of the main living areas.

Upstairs there are three large double bedrooms with space for kids to accommodate friends, as well as study desks. The main bedroom overlooks the garden and has a raised window seat that could double as a reading nook.

The bathrooms throughout are finished to an impressive standard. The en suite of the main bedroom has a separate shower and bath, as does the family bathroom.

The property is asking €1.595 million through Hunter’s Estate Agents.