Conventional exterior, interesting interior

Dublin 3: €575,000A surprise awaits viewers once through the front door of 192 Kincora Road, Clontarf, a three-bedroom terraced house with a colourful and deceptively-spacious interior.

The 117 sq m (1,256 sq ft) house (excluding a floored attic) is for sale by private treaty through Douglas Newman Good, quoting excess €575,000.

Fairly conventional and well-kept, the front of the house provides no hint of its interesting interior. The long narrow hall is floored in black and white chequered tiles. Painted tulip pink, the sitting and diningrooms are open-plan, allowing light to spill through from the south-facing back garden. Both rooms have original black cast-iron fireplaces and polished wood floors. Double doors open to the sun deck and back garden at the diningroom end.

The owners have extended the kitchen/breakfastroom into the garden, creating a bright contemporary space which will appeal to most tastes. Oak units, slate flooring and brushed steel Neff appliances work well with deep green wall tiling. An apex ceiling is lined with Velux windows. At the breakfast end, a full glass block wall floods this room with natural light.

Upstairs, two double bedrooms have polished wood floors and cast-iron fireplaces, while bedroom three is a single room with fitted wardrobes. The family bathroom is decorated in blue, with white sanitary ware and a separate bath and shower.

A large attic room - floored, with two Velux windows, storage cupboards and a closet - could be used as a guest bedroom or study.

Neat and uncluttered with a driveway for car-parking, the front garden blends in well with other houses on the row.

Polar opposites, the southerly back garden has had a contemporary Zen makeover. There is a large decked area outside the breakfastroom door, bounded by gravelled areas and lawn, all south-facing. Ivy and climbers cover the boundary walls. There is a garden shed and rear access.

Interest in Clontarf has never been stronger. Bungalows with large back gardens are particularly sought-after for their development potential. However, this Dublin 3 suburb's proximity to the city and the sea are also selling points.