Situated in the heart of Drumcondra’s famed Triangle, this three-bedroom terrace on Ferguson Road is one of the 600 houses that make up one of the capital’s oldest housing estates. The area was the subject of a 2021 RTÉ documentary in which long-standing residents were interviewed to describe the strong yet changing community there.
The estate was built by the Dublin Corporation in one year in 1928 in response to the pressing need for new homes as many of the city’s residents were living in cramped and otherwise unsuitable conditions in inner-city tenement buildings.
Number 28 had already been renovated when the current owners bought it in 2017, for €455,000, according to the Property Price Register. A couple, the husband is originally from Dublin and wanted to return to the capital to settle down with his wife after 15 years of working and travelling abroad.
Returning from the Middle East, where they relied on a car to get around, they wanted to find a home with open spaces nearby, close enough to the city centre that they could walk or cycle to work. That is precisely what this home offers, with Griffith Park and the Botanic Gardens in the area, and the city centre a 15-minute cycle away. The property, measuring 94sq m (1,012sq ft), has a B3 Ber which is plus for any buyer given the current high costs of energy.
The front garden was a labour of love for one of the owners who researched the optimum plant combination for its east-facing aspect, choosing foxgloves, roses, jasmine and rosemary among others. The exterior of the house is a smooth plaster with a slightly sage green hue, a texture which distinguishes the updated house from the pebble-dashed surface of those that have gone unchanged. The stone tile path to the front door creates a patio below the front window where the owners have placed a small table and chairs.
To the front of the house is a small livingroom where a two-seater sofa fits in the corner to the right of the doorway. The owners added built-in shelving to optimise the space on either side of the fireplace, which is tiled in deep green, creating a great feature.
Further down the hall is the bright kitchen that includes neutral white wooden units with chrome handles and white metro tiles; there is wood-effect laminate flooring throughout the ground floor. The room opens out to an extension executed by the previous owner. It is used as a dining and living area, with windows and French doors out to the back garden. This is an airy, versatile space with two Velux windows overhead. The owners also added a guest toilet on the ground floor.
The back garden is inviting with a patio area for al fresco dining and a lawn leading down to the bright turquoise door of the shed, where there is plenty of storage space and plumbing for the washing machine. The garden is private with ample hedges on either side and a big magnolia tree.
Upstairs, the main bedroom sits to the front of the house; it has built-in sliding door wardrobes with an opaque black surface on one wall and a modern en suite with light Moroccan-style tile flooring. The single room is a decent size with space for a single bed under the window as well as a desk; it also has built-in wardrobes which borrow some space from above the stairs, not that you would notice. The second double bedroom and family bathroom is to the back of the house.
This property is likely to appeal to owners looking to settle down in a convenient location, close to schools and amenities. The owners are renovating a larger house nearby; they were keen to stay part of the schools and sports clubs in Drumcondra as their children get older. Now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, the asking price for 28 Ferguson Road is €595,000.
