Downtrading: Compact in Dalkey with putting green

Bijou, attractive, detached: 2 St Margaret's Close, just off Castlepark Road in Dalkey, is a sweet proposition. The small redbrick house is on a quiet cul-de-sac and would shriek "perfect house for trading down" except that it's not a shriek-y sort of house.

Instead it’s the type to calmly let you know that if you’re at the stage in life where you prefer your bedrooms on the ground floor and if a small enclosed back garden complete with mini putting green is on your wish-list, this could well be the perfect place for you.

There’s plenty of parking out front, and at 113sq m (1,216 sq ft) it’s compact. However, it still has three bedrooms – two doubles and one single – plus a kitchen, a large sittingroom and an inner hallway, which is on the plans as a dining room.

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You’re more likely to have breakfast in the dual-aspect kitchen and have your larger supper parties in the spacious conservatory, so you still have some internal space to play with.

The sittingroom has a nice gas fire in a slate hearth, with double doors that lead through to the conservatory.

The principal bedroom has a small en suite shower room, while the family bathroom has a jacuzzi bath to conjure with.

Outside a Shomera makes the ideal pavilion from which to shelter from any antics on the putting green. There are also a small lawn and patio areas.

Great spot

The small development of St Margaret’s has service charges of about €600 per year to keep everything as you would like it.

It is pretty much equidistant from Sandycove and Dalkey villages, so it is a great spot to locate in. The Dart is close by too.

Built in the last 30 years, the decor is not quite modern, but perfectly nice. The house is for sale through Lisney with a guide price of €695,000, which could make leaving a larger house less of a wrench.