Houses in the latest phase of Manor fields, near Clonee, on the Dublin-Meath border, go on sale this weekend. Prices start at £123,000 for a two-bedroom terraced house. There will be 30 two-bedroom and three-bedroom houses on offer, 15 of each type, with a couple of three-bed semis still available from the previous phase.
According to the selling agent, Ross McParland, the houses will be ready for occupation from April next. Clonee is a small village which is beginning to expand to accommodate the fast-growing Menolly developments on its doorstep.
Although one of the largest newly-created suburbs in the Dublin area, each new scheme is different in style and separated by entrance gates and clever landscaping. Clonee is a few minutes from the Blanchardstown shopping centre and the M50 and a surprising 20 minutes from O'Connell Street in off-peak times. There is a small shopping complex within the development, with a Spar, a take-away and all the usual necessaries of urban living.
Both the two-bedroom and three-bedroom houses are of half-brick and pebbledash, with a good tiled porch and decorative soldier courses through the brickwork. The 750 sq ft two-bed mid-terraced houses, priced from £123,000, will appeal to first-time buyers and single people trading down. Inside, there is a tiny hallway entering into a good-sized sittingroom with the stairs rising from the far corner.
A timber-and-slate fireplace is standard, as is ceiling coving, and a tall window lets plenty of light into the room. Double doors lead to a large L-shaped kitchen/diningroom with glass doors to the back garden from the dining end. Kitchen units are oak-type and wall tiles are standard.
A part-timbered ceiling is an attractive feature above the kitchen units. There is also a practical storage cupboard for coats and cleaning things.
Upstairs, there are two double bedrooms, both with fitted wardrobes and a dressing unit and a white-tiled bathroom.
The larger 1,130 sq ft three-bedroom end-of-terrace houses are priced from £141,950. These have a more traditional layout, with a long entrance hallway and guest lavatory off. The sittingroom, off the hall, is good-sized, with a standard timber and slate fireplace and ceiling coving. Panelled double doors lead to a diningroom overlooking the back garden.
The kitchen/breakfastroom, also at the rear of the house, is spacious. It has a part-timbered ceiling and Shaker-style fitted units. There is a door to the garden from the kitchen. There are two double bedrooms - the main one is en suite - and a single. All the bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and there is a family bathroom.
There is a small number of 1,100 sq ft three-bedroom semis available with this launch at £144,950. This house-size will make up the bulk of the remaining phase, which will come on the market later this year. The gardens are the usual town-sized plots fenced with concrete support posts and will be levelled and seeded.
