€775K: A ‘neat cottage for small capitalists’ by the Aviva

Address: 13 Havelock Square, Sandymount, Dublin 4

Price: €775,000

Agent: DNG

"To small capitalists, or parties desirous of purchasing a neat cottage residence in this healthy and rising neighbourhood . . ." So read the Irish Times advert for 13 Havelock Square, back in 1875, when the three-bedroom period terraced house would have set you back a princely £200.

The diningroom of 13 Havelock Square, Dublin 4

In the intervening time, the area has changed: Bath Avenue is home to some great new pubs, shops and cafes, and the Aviva stadium sits adjacent; but Havelock Square itself is pretty much as it ever was: peaceful, friendly and a lovely place to raise a family.

The diningroom, adjoining the kitchen, of 13 Havelock Square, Dublin 4

The owner and her family bought the house just over 10 years ago, and will find moving a definite wrench. “It was the front room we fell in love with,” she says. “It has beautiful proportions, and we loved how you have this elegant room in a house like this.”

The kitchen of 13 Havelock Square, Dublin 4

Parlour

What she means is that beyond the very gracious room that would have been the parlour, and is now a stylish sittingroom, the rest of the 120sq m (1,295sq ft) house is a sweet and charming family home. The family also thrive on the convenience of being close to the beach, Sandymount, and a short cycle to work.

The house was already extended when the family moved in, and you can see from neighbouring homes that there may be scope to extend further into the sunny back garden to achieve more space than the current three-bedroom layout. Two of these, including the master, are upstairs, while the third is at garden level, where the family bathroom is also located.

One of the three bedrooms at 13 Havelock Square, Dublin 4

Match-day flags

In the rear garden, laid out with grass and decking, match-day flags from the Aviva flap in the background. “They close the area off for match days,” the owner says, pointing to discreet gates at one side of the square. “That’s the President’s entrance. When he’s coming, all the local kids line up with flags. It’s really sweet.”

Moving to get more space for their own family, they say they will miss both the house and the Aviva. “When it’s lit up at night it’s really beautiful,” she says, “Like a spaceship in the back garden. There’s a three-second delay on television,” she adds, “so we know from the roar of the crowd if a try has been converted before the rest of the country.”