A private green at your backdoor or a secret roof terrace? These five houses in and surrounding Dublin have surprising "Easter egg" features that will delight any home hunter.
Whether you are after a turnkey house in the capital's suburbs, a fixer-upper in the heart of Dublin 6 or a coastal home in the Garden of Ireland, there is something for those with budgets of €325k.
Turnkey Finglas two-bed with mermaid blue kitchen
Address: 100 Ratoath Avenue, Finglas, Dublin 11, Co. Dublin, D11 Y9W4
Asking price: €325,000
Agent: Lansdowne Partnership
A turn-key two-bed at the city limits, 100 Ratoath Avenue in Finglas, comes in at €325,000.
The semi-detached, two-storey end-terrace has a side garden where you could extend in time.
For now, the 64-square metre property, which is set on an elevated site and accessed via a set of steps, has gardens on either side of the front path.
The front door is at the side of the house, where there is a porch.
Inside, the property has been newly renovated.
The kitchen, which has been fitted with mermaid green presses with the floor and splashback clad in a pattern-happy tile, is at the back of the house and opens out to the garden.
The living room is painted in a soft terracotta colour.
The inside of the fireplace has been tiled, a decorative touch that also helps radiate heat from the wood-burning stove there.
Upstairs, you will find two double bedrooms, where there is also a wetroom.
The house, which has an E BER rating, is about eight kilometres from O'Connell Street. DCU is about five km away, and Dublin Airport is just over a 10 km drive.
Balbriggan house with a secret terrace and green
Address: 16 Quay Street, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, K32 CK10
Asking price: €325,000
Agent: DNG McKenna Healy
This two-bedroom house is a short stroll from the beach at Balbriggan, in north County Dublin, a 35- to 45-minute train commute to Connolly Station.
The 90 square meter redbrick boasts a secret terrace area on the first floor, perfect for days in the sun.
This is accessed via the subway-tiled bathroom, where an opaque glass door leads out to the roof and on to a separate green area that runs the length of the terrace.
The house is well-presented with gas-fired central heating and triple-glazed windows.
The open-plan living cum dining room has a feature fireplace and an electric blue feature wall.
The kitchen is pristine.
It features contemporary handleless white units with a laundry room just off it. It opens out to a small yard that is the perfect place to air-dry clothing.
Upstairs, you will find two double bedrooms and the family bathroom.
Just 350 metres from the train station, the G BER-rated house is also just a short walk from the beach.
Lucan two-bed with private green where kids can play safely
Address: 2 Liffey Hall, Liffey Valley Park, Lucan, Co. Dublin, K78 W273
Asking price: €325,000
Agent: McIntyre Property Consultants
This two-bedroom terraced house looks like many other properties of its vintage.
You might even feel the back garden errs on the small side.
That is until you discover it opens to a private green.
The eat-in kitchen is at the front; its dining area includes a seat in its box bay window.
The living room is at the back and opens out to a small back garden with a picket fence gate that leads beyond the garden to an enclosed green with mature trees, where all the neighbours can gather, and kids can play in a private space just for the residents.
Upstairs you'll find two double bedrooms and the family bathroom.
The 78 square metre home has a C1 BER rating, gas-fired central heating and is close to the motorway.
Grafton Street is a distance of 14 kilometres while Liffey Valley Shopping Centre is just over two kilometres away.
Dartry fixer-upper by the scenic Dodder Greenway
Address: 3 Dartry Cottages, Dartry, Dublin 6, D06 A0W5
Asking price: €325,000
Agent: Herman White Estates
Located in one of the most sought-after parts of Dublin 6, this mid-terrace cottage is located on the sloping road that takes you to the entrance to Dartry Park.
The one-bedroom, two-bathroom terraced house is single-storey with a mezzanine level and is just metres from the park, which abounds the River Dodder and forms part of the Dodder Greenway.
You can walk off-road all the way west to Rathfarnham from here.
That said, the property needs complete modernisation.
The ground floor is open-plan and helpfully empty, save for decorative roof beams.
It gives you an idea of how you might like to reconfigure it.
Double doors lead through to the kitchen, which needs a facelift.
A patio door opens out to the small but west-facing back garden.
Upstairs, there is a large mezzanine, open to the floor below. The windowed space has been used as a bedroom and includes an en suite.
Rathmines town centre is about a 20-minute walk, with the shops of the Upper Rathmines Road less than 10-minutes on foot.
The location has an abundance of birdlife and wildlife.
While peaceful, it is a busy spot favoured by dog walkers and fitness fans.
Coastal home in Wicklow Town with vegetable patch potential
Address: 3 Dunbur Terrace, Wicklow Town, Co. Wicklow, A67 NC43
Asking price: €325,000
Agent: Forkin Earls
While a bit further from the capital, Wicklow Town is on the up. It's where TV presenter Brendan Courtney chose to set up home a few years ago.
It has a varied housing stock; some, like this three-bedroom townhouse in the town centre, still represent good value for money.
While in need of some modernisation and thermal upgrades, the G BER-rated terraced residence is well-located and measures 72 square metres.
It also has good kerb appeal and a south-west-facing rear garden.
The living room is at the front of the house and has a tiled fireplace. The kitchen is set in an L-shape and leads out to the garden, which is divided into two areas.
Currently gravelled, with some work, the latter could become a vegetable patch.
The property's only bathroom is downstairs. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, two doubles and a single. The principal bedroom has partial sea views.
It's an easy 20-minute walk to the town centre.
The harbour is a similar distance in the other direction. The train journey time to Dublin's Connolly Station is about 75 minutes.
