Bright, spacious family home in Rathgar

The re-emergence of public auctions in the Dublin residential market began with large period houses last year and now is trickling down to well-located semi-ds. 168 Orwell Road, Rathgar, a Stringer-built five-bed with 202sq m (2174sq ft) is for auction by Lisney on April 2nd with an AMV of €850,000.

This is an executor’s sale and an auction comes with the possibility that contracts will be signed on the day and so bypasses the “sale agreed” phase which can be uncertain or lengthy as buyers scrabble for funds.

It’s also a sign that the auctioneer believes that the market for family houses is strong and that there is more than one potential buyer with the available funds to sign on the dotted line. An auction only needs a minimum of two would-be buyers prepared to go up against each other.

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Number 168 is a fine house that was lived in by the same family for more than 50 years. It has many of Stringer’s typical features – parquet flooring in the good-sized hall, a deep porch and integrated garage and a family-friendly layout.

There are two reception rooms – interconnected by sliding doors – a small eat-in kitchen and guest WC downstairs.

Wide back garden
Upstairs off a bright landing are five bedrooms, four doubles and one single. Unusually, the bedrooms still have their original fireplaces.

The house was updated throughout the years, the bathroom was modernised and the windows, front and back, were replaced.

Buyers will almost certainly modernise and extend the kitchen – the back garden is wide and 23m long with plenty of scope. A peek over the garden wall reveals that the other half of this semi-d was greatly extended at the back. Owners of this style of house often knock through to the garage – it’s easy to create access from the hall – and convert to an extra reception room.

There is off-street parking for one car – a must as this is a main road – although more of the front garden could be paved to create more room.