It took about three years to do all the work, but the results speak for themselves. This sleek, two-bedroom, end-terraced house, on one of Blackrock’s secret streets, is in immaculate condition.
Anybody home hunting knows exactly the cost of renovation works, the time delays, and the nose-bleeding cost of trying to rent and pay a mortgage. This has pushed up the price of properties in walk-in condition.
For those who can afford to pay these premiums, this property type saves time and money in the long term.
Address: 3 Brookfield Terrace, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 C2W2
Asking price: €895,000
Agent: Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty
Number 3 Brookfield Terrace is such a home.
Situated in a warren of yellow-brick, turn-of-the-20th-century houses that have Rockfield Park on the doorstep and are within a short walk of Frascati and Blackrock Shopping Centres, the location is central but feels far removed from the heavy four-lane traffic of the N11.
The owner paid €390,000 for it in February 2020, according to the property price register, just before the first Covid lockdown.
It had been seeking €420,000, but according to the then-selling agent, it needed everything done to it.
The house had a G Ber-rating, the lowest letter on the building energy rating scale.
It measured 87 square metres.
He and his father cleared out the place, saving some money.
Covid restrictions slowed the build, and he was also working full-time throughout, limiting the amount of time he could give to the house.
It took the best part of three years to get it to the immaculate condition it is now in.
When he was finished, he swore he would never again do a renovation project.
The two-bedroom house is now unrecognisable. All the hard, dirty and expensive work has been done.
The property has also increased in size by about 25 per cent to 115 square metres.
It remains a two-bedroom property, but the attic has been converted, giving you an additional 26 square metres of space.
There is also an ensuite bathroom at this level.
Modern comforts are all in situ throughout, too, starting with a serious energy upgrade.
It now boasts a B3 Ber-rating and has underfloor heating across its two floors.
The house opens into a hall with the rest of the ground floor set out in an open-plan layout.
There’s a dining area at the front, where the formal parlour once was.
In homage to that, there’s a drinks trolley, carefully stowed away in what was originally the fireplace.
The kitchen is a blend of light and dark.
Pale laminate flooring creates a sense of continuity throughout the floor.
The wall cabinetry has light birch ply above the counter and dark anthracite-coloured deep drawers beneath.
There’s an island with a ribbed timber beam base topped with a waterfall counter.
Sleek and minimal, it includes ample storage for a family.
The living room is down a level, via a set of steps.
It is light-filled, in part thanks to the long rooflight overhead.
A wall of glazing, bi-fold doors part to open it completely to the city-sized courtyard garden.
It is a completely private space that benefits from pedestrian side access, ideal for those with bikes or scooters.
Upstairs on the return is the family bathroom. There are two double bedrooms on the first floor.
The principal is to the front and spans the width of the house. It has built-in wardrobes.
The converted attic is sizeable and has a dormer to the rear.
There is resident's disc parking on the street.
While he vowed he wasn’t going to take on another project, he’s been bitten by the renovation bug.
His next project is the refurbishment of a 1980s home that his father built.
Agents Lisney is seeking €895,000 for the two-bedroom, three-bathroom house.
