Railway Cottages, a terrace of Victorian houses located just off Serpentine Avenue in Ballsbridge, were modest enough homes when they were first constructed in the early 1900s. What has appealed to buyers here in the past few decades, besides having a sought-after Ballsbridge address and being within walking distance of Dublin city centre and close to the Dart, is the size of the back gardens.
At number three the same attraction holds, and the garden also benefits from a southwesterly aspect. In addition, it has a 21sq m (230sq ft) granite building, which has extensive power points and a loo, and could be converted into a home office or cinema room. If used as a home office, it would allow the third bedroom in the house to be used as a bedroom again as it is currently used as a workspace.
The 80sq m (860sq ft) house, which lies at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, was last purchased in 2015 for €512,500.
“It was originally extended in 1998 but I called it the ‘house of pine’,” says the owner. “I knew I had to redecorate but decided to gut the entire place as it had no insulation back then.”
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Triple-glazed windows and doors were installed and all walls were insulated, while new skylights add passive solar gain and light to the kitchen-cum-dining space to the back of the house. This has given the property a Ber of C2, which is good considering its age.
The property has three bedrooms – with one used as an office – with a formal livingroom to the front and a large kitchen-dining area to the rear.
“It had four hobbit-sized bedrooms when I bought it, so we took one away to give a larger kitchen and dining space to the back, and I spent the guts of €130,000 doing the renovations,” says the owner.
The owner has used the granite shed in the garden as storage; “It does not have heating, but it’s insulated and it is not a big job to turn it into a home office. That was my plan but work commitments mean that I now have to move.”
Another attraction of the property is its location close to Sandymount Strand, the Aviva Stadium and Grand Canal Dock. “It’s literally the best location, and so quiet – especially with the new trains on the Dart – you can barely hear a thing.”
Number three Railway Cottages is now on the market through DNG, seeking €750,000.
