The houses at the Donnybrook end of Ailesbury Road, on the west side of the tree-lined street, are not the vast, Victorian embassy-quality redbricks you immediately picture when you think of this well-known Dublin 4 road.
These were built in the 1950s – large detached houses on a third of an acre, with all mod cons, a garage to the side and a bright family-friendly layout.
The sale of 72 Ailesbury Road, which measures 260 sq m (2,800 sq ft), might be an interesting test of the market: it’s in walk-in condition, it will tick all the boxes for a growing family, and its location is hard to beat. It’s also firmly at the upper end of the market price- wise, with Sherry FizGerald pitching it at €3.25million.
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Ideal for big occasions The current owner grew up in the house
and now lives there with his young family. It has been renovated and extended over the years: in the 1990s it was extended at the back to make space for a large eat-in kitchen, and a year-round conservatory was also built on. The original reception rooms interconnect and the double-glazed doors in the back room open into the sunroom. So, when the whole lot is opened up, it must be ideal for entertaining.
A garage to the side of the house was turned into a family room years ago, with an additional bedroom and en suite built over it. This two-storey extension was done very much in keeping with the style of the detached house; it looks as though it’s always been there.
Complete redo
Eight years ago 72 Ailesbury Road was given a top-to-bottom revamp, from new oak flooring in the wide, bright hall to solar panels on the roof. The decoration is smart and well maintained, making this very much a house in walk-in condition.
Other improvements at the time turned a fifth bedroom into a large en suite bathroom, modernising the family bathroom, putting in a new kitchen, updating the utility room, and revamping the home office off the kitchen. It’s difficult to see what a new owner would want to change.
The house is set well back from the road, and there is parking for several cars – even without gravelling over more of the garden, as some neighbours have done. The 20-metre-long back garden is wide and has a patio area and lawn bordered by mature shrubs and trees.
