Eight to 10 seconds. That is the magic number, according to many agents, on exactly how long it takes for a prospective buyer to make a decision on a house. While it may well then take eight to 10 months to complete the sale, agents agree that houses in turnkey condition are easier to sell and achieve higher prices.
This is especially true in today’s climate, where post-Covid pent-up demand coupled with a shortage in labour and supply constraints have pushed up construction costs by between 25 and 30 per cent.
With this in mind, the launch of 13 Priory Grove in Blackrock will no doubt have a queue of prospective buyers to view the 185sq m (1,991sq ft) four-bedroom house. To say it is in turnkey condition is a bit of an understatement as it almost feels brand new.
The current owners purchased the property in 2017 for €880,000, according to the Property Price Register. “When we bought it was all open plan so the first thing we did was a bit of internal reconfiguration,” says the owner. A division in the form of glass doors and surround was installed between the two livingrooms on the left as you enter the property.
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Though mostly kept open, they can be closed off for noise reduction – while still allowing light to flow into both rooms. It also means parents can keep an eye on children, as they can from an open playroom that sits off the kitchen.
One of the most incredible spaces in the house is the extension to the rear. With views and access to the back garden that meet at a large outdoor patio, there is an incredible volume of light, thanks to so much glazing and an overhead roof light, which itself acts as a natural boundary between the dining and kitchen areas.
The use of an antique-effect mirror as a splashback behind the Smeg six-ring hob and oven also reflects light and acts as a trompe l’oeil; wherein it reflects the picket fence visible from the window at other side of the room.
An office sits opposite the reception rooms overlooking the front driveway, which has sandstone gravel framed by a bank of Photinia Red Robin. While home offices became a requirement of Covid, and house trends predict they are here to stay until at least 2023, the room could well work as a third reception room, or fifth bedroom if needed.
On the first floor are three fine-sized bedrooms and the family bathroom. The fourth bedroom, situated up another flight of stairs, has a large wet room and walk-in wardrobe on one level. The bed itself lies up a small staircase, in a well-lit mezzanine – thanks to two new roof lights.
The rear garden is another bonus, as it has a southwesterly orientation and extends to nearly 30m (85ft).
Located in a prime and much sought-after area, the property is close to an abundance of schools, both primary and secondary, in addition to the UCD campus at Belfield, which is literally across the main road.
If there is one issue that lets the house down it is the Ber rating of D1 – with all the renovations and turnkey condition you would expect a higher rating.
But its turnkey condition, rear garden and location will be what attracts buyers, and it is now on the market through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty seeking €1.15 million.
