Whole lot of house on popular Blackrock strip

The owner of 28 Waltham Terrace grew up across the road and when he and his wife went house hunting 30 years ago his mother would throw medals into the front gardens of the homes she thought would be suitable for the couple. If you were to excavate the front garden you would, quite possibly, find the remains of several such laurels, says the owner with a laugh.

There has been a lot of sales activity on this exclusive Blackrock strip. Number 44 sold for €565,000 in March 2012 while number 6 sold for €1.5million in May of the same year. In 2013 number 16 sold for €2.25million in March after it came to market asking €2million. The following year number 31 sold at auction for €2.375million in March. It had an AMV of €2.25 million and had been completely modernised.

In December of the same year number 69 sold for €1.715million. Last year three houses on the road sold; number 23 went for €1.8 million in May; number 52 made €1.463million in June while number 6, a house in walk-in condition, sold for €2.275million in September.

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Built at the end of the Georgian era this villa-style house was one of the first four to be constructed on the road. The reception rooms, set on either side of the granite-stepped entrance hall have impressive ceiling heights that exceed 15 feet, large shuttered windows and original broad polished pitch pine floors. Elegantly proportioned, the dining room is painted an after-dark red while the drawing room, a dual aspect space, features a marble fireplace complete with brass surround and servants bells as well as a fine overmantle mirror that was in the house when the owners bought it and remains included in this sale.

The rear of the house is three storey, with three bedrooms at the top and these share a shower room. The next owner might like to upgrade these even adding an ensuite to the largest room.

Winter room

Down a flight of stairs to the left is a winter room with an open fire and a glass door that leads directly out to a potting shed, a real luxury for avid gardeners who won’t need to leave the house to enjoy their pastime. This opens up to the garden. A study next door also overlooks the 95ft long rear.

Rewired in 1991, replumbed in 1996 the kitchen was extended in 1997 and now comprises an open fireplace at one end and a four-door cream Aga at the other, with room for a kitchen table. Cherrywood kitchen units by Clive Nunn, a well-regarded furniture maker who passed away last year, surround the space. These have bull-nose unhoned limestone countertops.

At 321sq m/3368sq ft you only appreciate the size of this house when stand in the rear garden and looking back at its three-storey rear.

The garden, set out in lawn, is south-west facing. The garage to the side of the house could, subject to planning, be incorporated into the kitchen to turn the back into a more contemporary open plan space that makes the most of its sunny aspect. From the kitchen a set of steps leads down to a laundry room, the front side entrance and on through to a very cosy, dual aspect den where, in stark contrast to the 15ft ceilings at hall level the floor to ceiling height here is just 8ft.

The property’s fourth bedroom is to the front, adjacent to a country-style bathroom panelled in tongue and groove. Both are sizeable and could be turned into a very smart self-contained unit or master suite.

The house is asking €1.95million through agents Colliers.