Number 24 Kingsland Park Avenue is a home for all seasons. In springtime you can enjoy the lovely canal walks nearby; in summer you can sit out on the Mediterranean-style patio with an Aperol spritz and enjoy daylong sunshine; in autumn you can stroll into the city centre and catch the sales; and in winter you can cosy up in the parlour with a big Christmas tree in the window and a fire lighting in the lovely decorative fireplace. All year round you can enjoy the sense of calm that permeates the house and the quiet, peaceful atmosphere of this lovely old neighbourhood. Most of all, says the owner, the house has heart.
The owner bought this mid-19th-century Victorian terraced house in 2006 and has since made huge upgrades and improvements, so it is in turnkey condition for new owners. The house had already been extended and had planning permission for further upgrades. The owner put in a new double bedroom and bathroom with shower unit downstairs and in 2019 put in new sash windows and doors and a new roof in 2020. A combi boiler was also installed in 2019 but the Ber is a low E1.
The east-facing back yard was just that — a yard, with no personality. The owner put down flagstones and flower beds and turned it into a Mediterranean-inspired courtyard garden, with liberal use of powder blue to add to the sunny holiday villa style. When the sun is out over this low-rise neighbourhood, the courtyard is bathed in sunshine all day. “It’s as quiet as can be — sitting outside here on a summer’s evening, it’s hard to believe you’re just off the South Circular Road. Night and day, it’s very peaceful,” says the owner.
The owner also sourced reclaimed centre-roses and cornices for the high-ceilinged livingroom/parlour, and bought the fireplace from an antique salvage shop. To the rear is a fully equipped kitchen with island and Shaker-style units, and a family room leading out to the rear courtyard. There is solid wood and hardwood flooring throughout.
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The upstairs extension is set back from the front, so it doesn’t break the line of the terrace, and features a main bedroom with plenty of wardrobe space, and a fully tiled bathroom with a free-standing bath.
Kingsland Park Avenue is situated between the Grand Canal and Harrington Street, in a well-established neighbourhood where many of the residents have lived for up to 60 years. During the pandemic, says the owner, neighbours rallied together and looked out for each other. There’s a great Tidy Towns committee and the annual block party brings everyone out on the street to enjoy music and food from the Lennox Grocer and coffee from First Draft. There’s on-street permit parking, but with Grafton Street just a 10-minute walk away and transport routes nearby including Luas and number 16 bus to the airport, you probably won’t need a car.
Number 24 Kingsland Park Avenue, Portobello, Dublin 8 extends to 86.6sq m (932.1sq ft) and is for sale through DNG asking €695,000.
