Detached homes near coast and rail

Willowbrook is a development of 20 detached family homes within walking distance of the coastal village of Donabate in north Co Dublin, with prices ranging from £395,000 to £425,000. Malahide-based O'Farrell Cleere is the selling agent for the development by Woodside Homes. Donabate, some 15 miles from Dublin city centre, was once considered an inconvenient location but is now becoming popular as it is well served by the daily commuter train operating between Drogheda to Dublin.

The Willowbrook houses are spacious with well-proportioned rooms and hallways and are finished to a high standard.

All of the houses have four bedrooms, two of which are en suite, and there is 1,900 sq ft of space with an additional 340 sq ft of floored and plastered storage in the attic. This attic area has been divided into two rooms and while both could currently be used as an office or playroom, the instalment of Velux windows would certainly enhance the potential for use.

Five of the 20 homes with garages are all priced above £400,000 while the remaining houses without garages are under £400,000. There are cobblelock driveways to the front, and timber fencing in the rear garden which has been levelled and seeded.

The entrance hall is bright and spacious with a downstairs lavatory and a feature staircase. Solid cherrywood doors on the ground floors and door frames with detailed features are good examples of the quality of interior finishings. To the left of the hall is a sittingroom with double doors leading to the diningroom where there are French doors out to a decked area.

An island worktop unit that incorporates the hob, with an overhead glass and chrome extractor fan, is the most eyecatching feature of the open plan kitchen and breakfast room. The kitchen units are cherrywood with black granite worktops. This is a bright room with three windows facing the garden, and the utility room leads off from here. There is also an additional family room on the right-hand side of the hall.

Upstairs there are four double bedrooms and a main bathroom with a whirlpool Jacuzzi bath. The main bedroom is to the front with a walk-in dressingroom and an en suite with a double vanity unit containing two basins. The second bedroom also has an en suite and all of the bedrooms have built-in wardrobes. The staircase continues to the two-roomed attic area.

A fireplace allowance of £1,200 is available to be spent in Fingal Fireplaces, Malahide, along with a £900 tiling allowance to be used in Mediterranean Tiles in Ashbourne. The showhouse is on view on Saturday and Sunday and the estate is due to be completed by late spring or early summer next year.