B-rated Booterstown home with wow-factor basement for €1.195m

“A little bit of a Tardis,” is how the owner of Serenity at 26B Woodbine Park describes his home. Indeed, from its facade you would never know that essentially this property lies over four floors, as it has a fine well-lit basement and converted attic.

Extending to a generous 277sq m (2,982sq ft), the house was constructed in 2008. “We travelled to Germany to visit WeberHaus [a German home builder of off-site manufactured houses] in Bavaria, but in the end didn’t end up buying one as we thought it could be a complex process to get it through Irish [planning] regulations, but we were inspired by the demo houses there.”

Subsequently, the family engaged architect Cyril O’Brien to design the home, which is a timber-frame structure with a masonry exterior, meaning it is well insulated. This is reflected in the B2 Ber, further helped by triple-glazed Austrian Bruckner windows and a complete home ventilation system. Its good Ber will qualify for a green mortgage, where new owners can get a discount on lenders’ standard rate, so monthly repayments will be cheaper – and running the house itself will be more efficient.

The basement is a wow factor as firstly it’s unexpected but it’s also bright thanks to clever design that allows lots of light into the large livingroom – especially on one side, which has the benefit of a southerly aspect. It could, if new owners wish, generate a rental income as it has access from an independent staircase to the side of the property and has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen in addition to the spacious livingroom. It could also work as a granny flat or a large home office.

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At hall level, a large living/diningroom encompasses the entire width of the property. It’s also flooded with light thanks to almost an entire wall of glass – and patio doors – that make the most of the room’s southerly orientation.

To the front is a fine-sized kitchen – opposite a utility and loo – which has an American fridge-freezer and Waterford double-oven range with gas hob.

Upstairs are five bedrooms, four of which are en suite, giving the house six bathrooms in total, and the principal bedroom that overlooks the rear garden has the benefit of a walk-in wardrobe. Up another flight of stairs lies a converted attic, which was in the past an office and is now in use as a gym.

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Outside, the back garden has been landscaped with a sunny patio and is not overlooked, while the front garden has gated vehicular access bordered by tall photinia for privacy.

It’s really a lot of house at Serenity and its size, basement and turnkey condition will be its selling points along with its excellent energy rating for a house that is 15 years old. Its location is one of the things the owners love, as UCD’s Belfield campus is just across the way with St Andrew’s College, Blackrock College and Mount Anville secondary school just a short distance away.

With almost an empty nest, the owners are downsizing locally and have placed their home on the market through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty, seeking €1.195 million.