A guide price of £500,000 has been put on a large penthouse apartment in Malahide, Co Dublin, that is scheduled for auction through Sherry FitzGerald on March 10th. Overlooking Malahide estuary, with the marina in the foreground and Lambay Island in the distance, the apartment has 2,200 sq ft of living space, making it twice the size of many three-bedroom semis.

The sixth-floor apartment, which is accessed by a key-operated lift, has a large entrance hall with a polished wood floor. The internal layout works well with the reception rooms on one side of the apartment and the three bedrooms - with en suite facilities and built-in wardrobes - on the other side.

The finest room is the main open-plan reception area - a livingroom with a diningroom located around the corner. The livingroom - which is larger and better proportioned than one usually finds in an apartment - has a vaulted pine ceiling, polished timber floor and a reproduction Bossi-style white marble fireplace. Floor-to-ceiling windows open on to a wide balcony. The dining area also has access to a balcony and two of the bedrooms have their own private terraces.

The kitchen is a bright, spacious room with parquet-style flooring and a good range of maple units. An investment property, the apartment has been maintained in pristine condition. The annual service charge is just under £600.

Built by Cavan developer Sean Reilly, Malahide Marina Village is the largest apartment development on Dublin's north shore, with around 350 apartments and shops. Begun in 1992, the entire development is finally nearing completion with the last handful of new apartments due to come on the market in the coming weeks. Sherry FitzGerald will have around eight two-bedroom apartments for sale, ranging in price from £220,000.