Dublin 16 / €1.9m: A Victorian semi-detached house in a cul-de-sac off Ballinteer Road in Dublin 16 carries an advised minimum value (AMV) of €1.9 million prior to auction through Gunne Residential on March 8th.
Westerton House is hidden away at the end of a laneway off the main road opposite Simpsons Hospital. It's a much improved location with the Dundrum shopping centre and the Luas close by and access to the M50 at the top of the road. While several large apartment blocks have cropped up nearby, the house maintains a sense of privacy and being surrounded by mature houses, its outlook is unlikely to change.
Westerton House and its neighbour Eastwood were built by the Brooks family in 1870s as a gift to two daughters. Today it's owned by Brian Patterson, chairman of The Irish Times, who with his wife Jennifer is moving to a smaller home in the area.
The double-fronted houses stand back-to-back so that from the front, Westerton looks detached. During the 1970s, a row of modern houses was built in front of the house and these now share the laneway.
It's a three-storey house with a self-contained flat at garden level. Steps lead up to an impressive arched porch that shelters the front door with its attractive coloured glass panels. Inside, the striking burgundy hallway leads to two reception rooms, a drawingroom to the right and a large sittingroom to the left. The drawingroom has a fine white marble fireplace. There is a small formal diningroom next to the drawingroom, while a door from the livingroom leads to steps going down to a surprisingly small but well-fitted kitchen with new maple units and integrated appliances. A door leads to the garden which is all to the side of the house. A detached garage with separate access to the road offers scope for conversionsubject to planning.
A fine staircase leads to the upper floor, where there's a large landing and high-ceilinged bedrooms. Three are doubles; the main bedroom is en suite. There's separate access from the front of the house to the ground floor, where there is a large one-bedroom self-contained flat and an office, utility room and a large sittingroom with a staircase leading to the hall level.
