House with sea views and village close by

HOWTH: €1.395mON A SUNNY spring morning there's nothing like being by the sea and it is the sea views at 13 Asgard Park in Howth that are its unique selling point. This is a home with a view for buyers willing to get their hands dirty.

The four-bedroom detached property is in a keyhole cul-de-sac just a few minutes walk from Howth village where new restaurants such as Ivan's and old eateries like the King Sitric surround the harbour. Howth has several good pubs and the Sunday market has really revitalised the weekend mood in the village.

The house is for sale by private treaty, for €1.395 million, through Douglas Newman Good.

From the front the property is utterly ordinary but that becomes part of its charm when you see the views out back. It's a picture postcard vista that takes in Lambay Island and Ireland's Eye.

The view is spectacular. The rest of the package however is a relic of an earlier way of life. This 1970s home hasn't been updated since the 1980s. The house needs to be overhauled and upgraded.

In the hands of the right architect this could be a very interesting project, provided you have an additional half a million to invest in the refurbishment.

The house next door has already successfully added a two-storey extension. You too have the opportunity to create an integrated and dream family home.

The back garden is modest and steps downwards. A significant amount of work is required to raise the lower garden levels to make the most of the space.

There is little of architectural merit within and the interior needs to be completely reconfigured. But it has oodles of potential.

Out front is a small green - perfect for the kids to run around on. It's quiet, safe and mature - ideal if you like old-fashioned family values.

13 Asgard Park, Howth, Dublin

Four-bedroom detached house near the village which measures about 150sq m (1,600sq ft) in size and which requires modernisation. Its unique selling point are the views which take in Lambay Island and Ireland's Eye

Agent: Douglas Newman Good