Similar in style and in the same Rialto location, which one of these cottages offers the better value?
Rialto Cottages is a small grouping of single-storey dwellings set around small greens that were constructed by Dublin Artisans Dwelling Company (DADC) in the early 1900s for the brewery workers of Sir Edward Cecil Guinness.
Many have since been renovated and upgraded. With two mid-terrace homes currently on the market through the same agent, would-be buyers can compare and contrast their size and upgrades to see where the value for money really lies.
Address: 105 Rialto Cottages, Dublin 8, Rialto, Dublin 8, D08C6CW
Asking price: €495,000
Agent: Mullery O’Gara







This smartly designed B2-Ber-rated, two-bedroom, three-bathroom property is in walk-in condition. Its renovation in 203 and 2014 has optimised the use every single square cm of space on its relatively small footprint.
The ground floor has been excavated to drop the floor level to accommodate a second floor. It opens into a tiny hall which has tiled steps leading down into a light-filled zoned open plan space that has a living room that is washed in daylight by its twin windows and leads through to the dining area and long galley kitchen.
The two double bedrooms at this level, the principal has a shower ensuite with additional day light entering the room via a roof light. There’s a small courtyard to the back, where you can store bins.
Upstairs there is a large, bright attic space that includes an office with a small box room and shower room opening off it. The scene-stealer here is a large roof terrace that extends to over 28.5 square metres.
The ground floor measures about 51 sq metres of what the building code would describe as habitable space while the upper attic floor adds a further 18.5sq metres of internal space to the property. This gives you a price per square metre respectively of about €9,706, for the former, and €6,781 for the latter approach, with no additional monies to outlay. You just have to put the key in the door and unpack.
Address: 39 Rialto Cottages, Dublin 8, Rialto, Dublin 8, D08R3W4
Asking price: €375,000
Agent: Mullery O’Gara







Number 39 is a single bay, E2 Ber-rated one bedroom, one bathroom house with an additional attic room. It has been upgraded over the years and is now presented in an open plan fashion, opening into a good size living room area and leading through to a c-shaped kitchen that overlooks the courtyard and comes complete with breakfast bar.
The bedroom is situated to the rear of the property just beyond the recently remodelled shower room. It measures just over seven square metres in size,
Upstairs, there is a good size attic room with roof light to the rear as well as under the eave’s storage. This extends to just over 15 square metres.
The habitable space of this property is almost 34.5 square metres which would make it about €10,869 per square metre. If you factor in the attic space the cost per square metre is €7,075 psm.
The house offers room to improve and upgrade over time.
Verdict
In the current market homes in walk-in condition, with no further works to have to pay for, present better value for money and command a premium