When it was last sold in 2007, number 7 Merton Drive in Ranelagh had been fully renovated by previous owners. Everything from plumbing, wiring, heating and insulation had been addressed: “It was gutted from the foundations up,” say the current owners, who are moving due to a change in circumstances.
Presented in turnkey condition – the owners spend just nine months of the year in the 123sq m (1,324sq ft) house, and have maintained it well over the years – it currently has three bedrooms and two bright reception rooms that link into an L-shaped kitchen to the rear.
Though perfectly adequate, current owners had the intention of extending the house, so it now has the benefit of planning permission – valid until 2026 – to enlarge the space. This would involve converting the current garage and adding a room above it, with the addition of a single-storey extension to the rear. This would give the home four bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs with an extended ground floor.
The property is bright and airy throughout and the all-white palette in the reception rooms helps bounce light off the walls. This is also the case in what is a lovely principal bedroom upstairs, where oak furniture and flooring coupled with greenery give a peaceful calming vibe.
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The property has a Ber of C2, which is a decent reading considering the house is almost a century old and has two open fireplaces in the reception rooms. Both of these fireplaces, Arizona marble in Bianco Persiano – sourced from Longford Fireplace and Stone Solutions – were awarded first prize at the 2002 Hearth and Home show for best fireplace mantel.
An eat-in kitchen in dark grey lies to the back of the property and opens to the back garden adjacent to a separate utility.
Bedrooms include the spacious principal overlooking the back garden, a further double to the front and a large single with generous storage.
Solid wide-plank oak flooring runs throughout rooms on the ground floor – with the exception of the kitchen – which has Marmoleum, and upstairs each bedroom also has solid, easy-to-clean oak flooring. To complement the flooring, the property has solid oak doors and Vrogum Scandinavian windows.
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Besides its location and turnkey condition, the back garden will be one of the selling points as it has a large elevated deck off the kitchen, where two sets of steps lead to the lawn flanked by ornamental leylandii and a giant fern. Easy to maintain, it was landscaped by Beechwood Landscapes, which added colour and interest in the form of olive and bay trees along with autumnal hues from Japanese maples.
Located just off Sandford Road, close to a number of schools, one of the aspects current owners of 7 Merton Drive love about their home is the ability to use their bicycles: “Whether it’s to our friends, the kids’ afterschool or weekend activities, the five of us can cycle everywhere. The Luas at Beechwood is really close, but to be honest we rarely use it as we walk or cycle everywhere. There are also great extracurricular activities locally like the Ranelagh Gaels, Terenure Rangers, Beechwood Soccer and swimming at UCD.”
The turnkey property is now on the market through DNG, seeking €1.195 million.
