Buyers seeking a townhouse that is ready to walk into but still has character will be interested in 31 Cliftonville Road, a three-bedroom terraced house in a quiet cul-de-sac in Glasnevin, Dublin 9.
Strain-built houses like these are always popular and Glasnevin's proximity to the city centre is clearly a major plus. Scheduled for auction through Douglas Newman Good on March 15th, it is expected to make in excess of £300,000.
Prices on this road reached a high point last summer when a renovated and extended house sold for £360,000 so in this case the guide price could be on the conservative side.
The owners, who bought the house three years ago, have just completed extensively renovating and redecorating the property. So not only is it in walk-in condition in terms of having a new kitchen and bathroom, it has also been decorated in a particularly stylish manner and this suits its period feel.
The usual Strain trademarks are here in the high ceilings and elaborate stained-glass and bay windows. A smart decision during the renovation was to put a wide set of glazed double doors at the end of the newly extended kitchen so it is possible to see out into the landscaped back garden from the front door. This gives a strong feeling of space and light to an already bright house.
The front part of the eat-in kitchen has been fitted with Shaker-style units and the appliances are either integrated or stainless steel. The far end of the room is the dining area and its pitched ceiling has been clad in tongue-and-groove wood panelling. The floor has been covered in Amtico wood effect floor covering.
The reception rooms interconnect via their original sliding doors and the window in the back room has been replaced with glazed double doors. The original fireplaces have been restored and there is an impressive mahogany one in the front room and an oak one in the back. The red deal floors have been stripped and varnished.
Upstairs are two large double bedrooms and one small single. Both doubles have smart Cherrywood built-in wardrobes and the original and very pretty cast-iron fireplaces. The main bedroom has a bay window. The bathroom is new and features a double power shower in a free-standing unit as well as the usual fittings. The walls are covered in white tiles and the flooring is slate-effect Amtico.
Apparently when Strain was building these houses the first owners were given the option of having either two storeys or three, which explains why the landings on Cliftonville are very tall and wide to allow for the building of another staircase going up to the large attic. The back garden features a gravelled drive-in with space for two cars and the rest of the space has been densely landscaped. The front garden has been laid out in a similarly low-maintenance way.
