Courtyard garden at the heart of southside scheme

Booterstown/from €395,000: Apartments on a landmark site on Booterstown Avenue go on sale from plans today. Orna Mulcahy, Property Editor, reports

Booterstown residents looking to trade down from a house to an apartment in the area are among a number of buyers lining up to book one of the units at Thornwood, a new development on the corner of Booterstown Avenue and Stillorgan Road in Co Dublin.

Launching from plans today through through Hooke & MacDonald, one-bedroom apartments range in price from €395,000 to €450,000 while two-bedroom units are on the market from €550,000 to €650,000.

A total of 140 units are planned for the development which is due for completion in summer 2006, but just 29 apartments are being offered for sale at this stage. However, with a full book of enquiries so far, the agents may well release another tranche of apartments before the weekend.

The landmark 2.4 acre site at the top of Booterstown Avenue was until recently the headquarters of Carr Communications. It was bought last year by leading contracting firm P J Hegarty & Sons for around €22 million and came ready to go with planning permission for approximately 118 apartments.

Since then the developers have lodged a further planning application to bring the scheme up to a total of 140 units.

This includes five three-bedroom townhouses which are not for sale at this stage, and which are likely to sell for prices in the region of €1 million, according to David Cantwell of Hooke & MacDonald.

Most of the apartments will be large two-bedroom units aimed at owner occupiers, but the scheme includes at least 30 one-bedroom units which will be of interest to first-time buyers as well as investors.

According to Mr Cantwell, there have been several enquiries for buyers seeking an investment for their children. Thornwood's location, close to UCD at Belfield and convenient to transport routes makes it a solid investment prospect for families with college-going children.

The scheme, designed by award winning architects O'Mahony Pike, comprises three stylish buildings ranged around a large central garden designed in the formal style.

The fourth side of the courtyard will be taken up by a row of five contemporary style townhouses of around 140 sq m (1,500 sq ft).

One-bedroom apartments are larger than average with an average of 53 sq m (570 sq ft) while two-bedroom units are also a generous size with around 81 sq m (870 sq ft). The apartments will benefit from floor-to-ceiling Scandinavian windows to allow the maximum amount of light to come through.

The long livingrooms will have access to larger than average balconies. Apartments on the upper floors will have far reaching views across Dublin Bay. The high spec finish will include custom made kitchens with integrated appliances, full height built-in wardrobes, and gas central heating with slimline radiators.

Full plans are available from Hooke & MacDonald.