Blackrock apartments from £152,000

The wraps come off some of Dublin's most stylish apartments today when Capel Developments opens the first show units at its Linden scheme, in Blackrock, Co Dublin. More than 30 of the homes have been sold off the plans and another 80 one-bedroom up to three-bedroom apartments and penthouses are now being released for sale. One-bedroom units will be priced from £152,000, while two-bedroom units will start at £232,000. Agents Hamilton Osborne King expect a strong demand for the apartments on Grove Avenue, a mature, leafy road between Blackrock and Stillorgan. It is just around the corner from Avoca Avenue, where many of the large detached houses are valued in excess of £1.5 million.

Linden is the largest development to have been undertaken by Capel, now one of the biggest players in the Dublin apartment market.

They are building 225 apartments, townhouses and detached homes, on the site of the former Linden Convalescent Home, which are expected to net sales of £80 million.

Capel is currently putting the finishing touches to 50 luxury apartments and penthouses on the former British Embassy site in Ballsbridge, which are to be rented out. The company is also developing 117 apartments at Riverpark, at Conyngham Road, on the edge of the River Liffey beside the Phoenix Park, and another 67 units at Dunstaffnage, in Stillorgan.

Linden is the largest apartment scheme currently under way in south Dublin. The units are being developed in three separate courtyards set among almost nine acres of mature gardens and parkland. A mixture of old and new woodlands at the front of the site will give the homes instant maturity.

Particular emphasis is being put on landscaping the courtyards and installing water features. Additional trees are being planted in the grounds including linden trees which were an important feature of this site in the 1700s.

BECAUSE of the size of the site, Capel has opted to provide larger-than-usual apartments, which should have a broad appeal.

Linden's first phase will include 19 one-bedroom apartments, which will have between 486 sq ft and 604 sq ft and will cost from £152,000 to £168,000. Some of the units will have a study as a standard feature.

There will be a huge range of two-bedroom apartments to suit the various needs of purchasers. Sizes will range from 770 sq ft to 1,470 sq ft, while the prices will start at £232,000. For those looking for extra space and comfort, there will be a dozen two-bedroom and three-bedroom penthouses in the first phase, with floor areas between 1,432 and 2,006 sq ft. A few years ago, penthouses were usually the last to sell on most developments. The opposite is now the case, because of the number of well-heeled buyers around - some of them trading down from large houses in the area, others earning high salaries in the financial or IT industries and more buying these homes with the intention of moving there when they retire. The two show apartments opening today reflect the increasing demand for generous proportions and, to accommodate modern lifestyles, high quality finishes and crisp, utilitarian kitchens and bathrooms have been fitted. The livingroom is large and bright and opens through double doors into an attractive kitchen with Shaker-style units and lots of storage space.

There is an en suite shower room with the main bedroom and a utility room off most kitchens. Because most of the homes will be bought by owner-occupiers, Capel has made sure that buyers will have decent storage space. Buyers will also have the option of buying additional storage areas, ranging in size from 40 to 150 sq ft, in the basement.

Internally, the apartments are bright, spacious and nicely finished. Ground-floor units open on to a patio, while those on the upper floors have good-size balconies. In the first three-storey block nearing completion, each lift will serve only five apartments. Lifts will run directly into all the penthouses. While attention is focused on the show apartments at this stage, they will not be the most spectacular units in the Linden development.

IN A scheme of this size, it is hardly surprising that there will be a great variety of apartments and penthouses, even including diamond-shaped homes on opposite sides of the first courtyard.

Each costing about £340,000, these units will have around 1,100 sq ft, including an impressive livingroom overlooking the courtyard. The entrance to the front block will include a three-storey atrium with lots of light and space. Capel Developments has established a good reputation for high-quality finishes. In this development, it has pulled out all the stops, installing oak doors and wardrobes, wiring for TV, alarm, telephone/ISDN lines, and video intercom systems. They have also installed under-floor and ceiling electric heating in all apartments - the first Dublin apartments going for sale with invisible heating systems. This will ensure a more equal and efficient distribution of heat. This arrangement also enhances the overall appearance of apartments by leaving walls clear of radiators.

The ESB estimates that a typical two-bedroom apartment will cost around £6 per week to heat on a year-round basis.

Capel is providing car-parking at basement level, which will be free to apartment owners.