Homes in last phase of Powerscourt's Eagle Valley will cost from £500,000

Big substantial houses on new developments close to Dublin will become increasingly hard to find in coming years. Small wonder, therefore, that six of the final 11 houses at Eagle Valley on the edge of Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, have already sold from the plans with barely a stone turned on the site. Selling agent Hassett is offering two house styles in the final phase of a development which will consist of 103 houses when it is completed.

Both are big five-bedroom family houses, one with 2,584 sq ft of space, the other with 2,623 sq ft, and are selling for £500,000 and £520,000. They will be available for occupation this June. When the development was first launched in October 1995, the larger of the houses was selling at £258,000 - a price that seemed steep at the time, yet would scarcely buy a two-bedroom terraced house in the village today.

Permission to develop the lands beside the main gate of Powerscourt was contingent on the restoration of Powerscourt House, which was destroyed by fire in the late 1970s.

Initial concern among Enniskerry locals when the development was first mooted, that the infrastructure of a small village could not sustain such a large increase in its population, has largely evaporated now that most of the properties are occupied.

The spacious neo-Georgian style houses are relatively secluded from view by the boundary woods of Powerscourt demesne and the new residents have brought a visible prosperity to Enniskerry. Two Eagle Valley families have purchased the former Stepping Stones restaurant and Buttercups delicatessen in the village. Although there is a choice of just two house styles in this final phase, architect P D Lane and Associates has designed four distinctively different houses for Eagle Valley, arranged in pleasing random order in short cul-de-sacs. In essence, these are modern replicas of the traditional old country farmhouse, minus the inevitable damp.

The detached houses currently for sale are on a corner site backing on to the golf course and wooded land on Powerscourt Estate. The smaller 2,584 sq ft house has a brick and hanging tile facade and an attractive pitched roof line. The 2,623 sq ft has a Tudorstyle granite and timber facade with a leaded glass front door. In both houses, the reception rooms are exceptionally spacious and kitchens are sized for family gatherings, with an additional family room/study to the right of the entrance hall.

Four of the five bedrooms are large doubles and the fifth single room would be designated a double in most new developments. In addition to an en suite shower room, there is a dressingroom off the main bedroom in each house.

The majority of purchasers at Eagle Valley are families with children, some relocating from abroad and others moving out from the city suburbs. Doctors, orthodontists, brewing and grocery trade senior executives and financial services directors are among those who have bought at Eagle Valley. Just three of the houses were acquired by investors and these are let at a current rent of £3,500 per month. One of the present tenants is a visiting Ardmore Studios film director. Automatic membership of Powerscourt Golf Club (at the current entrance fee) was offered to some early purchasers at Eagle Valley and promptly availed of. There is now a waiting list of 280 for membership of the club and plans are under way to build a second 18-hole course. Residents can pay a charge of £80 per family to gain access to the famous gardens and miles of walks and bridle paths on the picturesque estate. There are several riding schools in the area. There are three primary schools in the village and a selection of secondary schools are a bus ride away in Bray and the south Dublin suburbs. One of the suburban routes from Enniskerry passes close to the back gate of UCD's Belfield campus. The recently published County Wicklow Draft Plan has recommended the extension of the boundaries of Enniskerry to encompass the entire Eagle Valley and adjoining Powerscourt lands, stretching from the present development eastwards towards Kilmolin.

While this suggests the possibility of further housing development in the future, a combination of very low densities in this high amenity area and the Slazenger family's vow to maintain the exclusivity of Powerscourt's environs should keep a tight rein on the encroaching suburban Dublin spread.

A showhouse will be open for viewing at Eagle Valley this weekend to coincide with the launch.