Sandycove redbrick ready for a refresh

A house in a cul-de-sac in Sandycove, Co Dublin, will test the market for auctions when it goes under the hammer on October 29th. It's a redbrick built in 1909 in a great location with good period features, nicely staged by its owners – they grew up in the house and know its potential.

New owners will have a lot of work to do to realise this potential though: the upstairs part of the house in particular needs major renovation and redecoration.

Valmar, Wilmont Avenue, a detached 144sq m (1,550sq ft) four-bedroom house a short walk from the sea and the village of Glasthule, will be sold at auction by DNG on October 29th. It has an AMV (advised minimum value) of €875,000.

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One of the main things new owners might do is extend to maximise the house’s sea views: at the moment, the best views are from two windows on the upstairs landings.

There is potential (with planning permission, of course) to expand to the side, creating new rooms with views, or possibly build up in the attic, where a window might be put in the gable wall.

Interconnecting living room

The front door of Valmar opens into a long, carpeted hall. The most attractive rooms in the house open off it to the left: the interconnecting living room and dining room both have high ceilings with deep mouldings and large marble fireplaces.

There’s a tall and deep bay window with seating in the livingroom at the front of the house. Sliding doors in the connecting arch lead to the diningroom.

It opens into a small, old-style conservatory/sun- room with a tiled floor. There’s a good-sized breakfast room towards the back of the house and behind it, a wide, narrow modern kitchen with wooden countertops.

New owners might want to create a big open-plan area here, possibly extending into the small, sheltered back garden. There’s also an understairs toilet in the hall.

Cast-iron fireplaces Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, two doubles and two singles, all with cast-iron period fireplaces. The family bathroom has its original clawfoot bath.

There's room for parking at the side of the house, next to the small front lawn. Wilmont Avenue is a quiet road with just a handful of houses on it: there's no through passage down to the coast road, although residents have quick access to the sea down the next street, Marine Avenue.

The restaurants and shops of Glasthule are a few minutes’ walk away.