Refurbished house a fair deal in fashionable Foxrock

DUBLIN 18 €4.25M: While many home prices are moving back towards 2005 levels, the owners of this house are asking €5

DUBLIN 18 €4.25M:While many home prices are moving back towards 2005 levels, the owners of this house are asking €5.5 million more than they paid for it that year.

FAIRHOLME, a refurbished five-bed house on half an acre of grounds on Brighton Road, Foxrock, has an AMV of €4.25 million prior to auction through Sherry FitzGerald on April 30th.

The pretty early 1900s house is one of a trio bought by property developer David Agar in 2005. Having annexed some of the long back gardens for further development, he is now selling off the original homes one by one.

Last year, he sold the next door property, Craughwell, for an estimated €6.3 million. Now Fairholme is available and it's likely to attract plenty of interest.

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Most of the supply in Foxrock is either in the €1 million-€2 million bracket, or way up in the €5m million-plus league. Fairholme will suit either families trading up, or affluent downsizers who aren't quite ready to go into an apartment. It's a pristine property, set well back from the road, with a fine front garden, and lots of off-street parking on crunchy gravel.

The west-facing back garden has been cleverly laid out by landscape designer Paul Martin. A large terrace leading off the upstairs landing will be a suntrap and has great views towards the Dublin mountains.

After a year-long refurbishment, the 345sq m (3,710sq ft) house is ready to walk into, and the interior design by Nula Roberts is refreshingly traditional with lots of Farrow & Ball colours and extensive use of wallpaper. There's the obligatory huge kitchen but it's decorated in cream tones with mod cons concealed behind hand-painted doors. French doors lead to the garden, which can also be accessed from a large drawingroom, while a cosy study off the hall has panelled walls and a working fireplace.

Off the kitchen is a utility area with a separate entrance. A big airy bedroom with an en suite in this part of the house would be ideal for granny or nanny. Upstairs, four further bedrooms lead off the gallery-style landing.

The main bedroom is a very pretty room at the back of the house with extensive fitted wardrobes and a luxurious en suite complete with rain shower. Bedrooms and bathrooms have high quality fittings, and deep pile carpet flows through the house.

Fairholme, Brighton Road, Foxrock

Five-bedroom house with large kitchen and interior by Nula Roberts. Landscaping in the large west-facing garden is by Paul Martin.

Agent:Sherry FitzGerald

Orna Mulcahy

Orna Mulcahy

Orna Mulcahy, a former Irish Times journalist, was Home & Design, Magazine and property editor, among other roles