Several city agents are showing particularly smart apartments worth checking out if you are on the lookout for something special. Buyers of these top-of-the-range schemes are not confined to older, more-established members of the public.
Windfalls, equity from downsizing and fast-track careers create demand across-the-board for that glamorous pad with a touch of je ne sais quoi.
While there are a few two and three-bedroom apartments from £149,950 (€190,400) still for sale at Hampton Square off Navan Road, agent Finnegan Menton is also showing two penthouses with direct key access, costing £289,950 (€368,160) for a 925 sq ft two-bedroom unit and £344,000 (€436,790) for a 1,050 sq ft three-bedroom unit.
This attractive scheme, five minutes' walk from the Phoenix Park and under two miles from O'Connell Bridge, includes an acre of well-landscaped courtyard gardens.
Shannon Homes' Chapel Gate scheme in Drumcondra, selling through Hamilton Osborne King, includes two-bedroom apartments from £235,000, (€298,390), three-bed units from £285,000 (€361,880) and a fabulous 1,237 sq ft penthouse for £410,000 (€520,590).
Ross McParland is handling the sale of the three-bedroom show apartment on the second floor of The Salmon Pool development at Islandbridge. This has great views of the Liffey and will set you back £345,000 (€438,060).
Across the Liffey, Ross McParland is selling a couple of two-bedroom penthouses with roof terraces at Grattan Court off Lower Mount Street, a stone's throw from St Stephen's Green. These cost £380,000 (€482,500) and £385,000 (€488,850).
The stunning furnished show penthouse at St Gabriel's in Cabinteely is now on the market for £625,000 (€793,590) through the Hooke & MacDonald agency. At 2,500 sq ft, with huge sitting and diningrooms - and loft-style A-shaped windows - this is probably one of the finest apartments available.
Still with Hooke & MacDonald, there are two remaining penthouses at the stylish Ramparts scheme in Loughlinstown for £385,000 (€488,850) and £395,000 (€501,550).
Hamilton Osborne King is selling two and three-bedroom apartments at Dunstaffnage, a small wooded development off Glenalbyn Road, close to the village. These cost £235,000 (€298,390) and £340,000 (€431,710). A three-bedroom duplex penthouse is available for £385,000 (€488,850) and a very large penthouse with a huge balcony has a price tag of £850,000 (€1.08m).
The same agent is showing apartments in Linden on Grove Avenue, Blackrock, where the formal Italianate landscaping is a special feature. Two-bedroom ground-floor apartments are for sale at £278,000 (€352,990) and one penthouse is still on the market at £360,000 (€457,110). HOK is also selling a 2,400 sq ft penthouse at Mount St Annes in Milltown for £1.15 million (€1.46m).
Just arrived on the market and creating a stir is the new Bushy Park House development in Terenure, which launched off plans last week, priced from £245,000 (€311,090) for two and three-bedroom apartments. Hooke & MacDonald are the selling agents.
