Homes from £135,000 in next phase of Knocklyon scheme

Francis Rhatigan and Chris Jones are hoping for no overnight queues this year when the latest phase of their Woodstown Village development at Ballycullen Road, Knocklyon, Dublin 16 comes up for sale this spring.

Reaction to the scheme's initial launch in February, 1997, was so strong Ellier Developments hired a marquee and laid on food for hundreds of purchasers eager to get a seat on the fast-moving property train. Back then, Ellier Developments was offering seven different house types, starting at £92,950 for a three-bedroom semi-detached. According to agent Sherry FitzGerald, these were sold in the main to young southside couples anxious to stay in the area. A small number of the houses in the third phase launched last October are still available, priced from £135,000. Bookings for the next phase will not be taken until it is launched, probably next month.

Of the 574 houses planned for Woodstown, 220 have already been completed. Much of the attraction of the 574-house scheme is attributable to the 60-acre timbered setting in the foothills of the Dublin mountains, which will soon have immediate access to the new M50 "C" ring road. When the Southern Cross opens in spring 2001, Woodstown residents will be able to get to Dublin Airport in 20 minutes.

The seven different house types are finished to an impressively high specification, with oak or maple floors and good-sized kitchens a feature of all the houses in the scheme. Reception rooms have deep ceiling coving, and solid-panelled internal doors are standard. There is also an en suite off the main bedroom and a downstairs guest bathroom. A bay window in the front provides extra light to the sitting-room.

The new village, created on land farmed by Chris Jones's family for a generation, is acquiring a lived-in look. Most of the earlier houses are now occupied and cars are parked in the driveways. Ellier's site office, operating from an equestrian centre in the early stages of the development, is moving to the newly-built neighbourhood centre. The riding school will remain on the fringes of the village as an amenity for residents.

At the heart of Woodstown Village is a tree-lined central avenue with individual cul-de-sacs off it, intended by architects Anthony Reddy and Associates to create reduced traffic areas for young families. The blend of copper beech and silver birch will be a particularly attractive feature as Woodstown matures. Landscapers Brady Shipman Martin are planting ahead of the house-building and replacing any trees on green areas that fail to thrive.

There are three different styles of three-bedroom semi-detached houses, aimed at a well-to-do starter house market. The cheapest costs £135,000 and has 1,020 sq ft of living space. A second semi with an extended kitchen and 1,090 sq ft is priced at £146,000. Another, which has an integrated garage with potential as a playroom or study, costs £155,000 for 1,160 sq ft of space.

For larger families, a four-bedroom semi measuring 1,270 sq ft, but without the garage, is also priced at £155,000. A four-bedroom semi-detached with extended kitchen and garage and 1,335 sq ft is £170,000 and a 1,340 sq ft four-bedroom detached house with extended kitchen and garage costs £220,000. Five-bedroom detached houses with garages and 1,650 sq ft of floor space cost £280,000.

There have been a number of changes to the layout of the houses since the initial launch, based on reaction from the public to the individual house styles. The developers have decided to open a dividing wall between dining-room and kitchen in the three-bedroom semi with extended kitchen, creating a family-sized area. An extra door has been added to the dining-room in some houses to provide access from both sitting-room and kitchen.

Redbrick frontages have been replaced by a buff yellow brick. Bay windows to the front might be extended to the upstairs front bedroom in later house styles, according to Sherry FitzGerald. Gardens are disappointingly small, considering the spaciousness of the surrounding countryside. On the other hand, a large amount of green open space has been set aside by the developers for games pitches and a children's play area. A footpath will give access to the mountain behind the village.

Ellier Developments is moving soon to the neighbourhood centre, which is almost ready to open for business and will include a Spar, video shop, hairdressers, credit union, Chinese restaurant, chemist, medical centre and creche. Woodstown Village is coming along nicely.