Houses on Millmount Avenue in Drumcondra, which turn 125 this year, were originally rather modest “two-up, two-downs”, all of which were let to tenants when they were first built.
Over the years demand has seen these houses extended, and number 3 Millmount Avenue is a prime example of the metamorphosis that some have undergone.
A house that once measured 87sq m now has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, and today extends to 128sq m (1,378sq ft).
It was last on the market in 2017 and sold for €475,000 in 2018, according to the Property Price Register. A planning permission search on Dublin City Council’s web portal shows that permission was granted in 2019 to demolish a single-storey rear extension and garden shed and replace it with a partial two-storey rear extension, with the conversion of an attic, and a new dormer and skylights to the terraced redbrick house.
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Owners did the works while living there and managed to survive without a kitchen and boiler for four months but luckily had an en suite: “We bought a camping shower that you fill with hot water from the kettle and pump with air, which was quite an adventure with two young kids, but we managed to get there in the end,” say the owners, who are upsizing with a growing family.
The house is in walk-in condition with a much-improved energy rating of B3, and has lovely pared-back modern decor. The original front two rooms now flow into each other, with a contemporary stove sitting within a brick hearth.
Beyond is the new kitchen/diningroom; here a streamlined kitchen with handleless units has wooden flooring, integrated appliances and a wall of glass to the rear that provides plenty of light from the south-facing rear garden. There’s also a separate utility and guest WC at this level.
Upstairs on the first floor lie three bedrooms. Taking up the entire width of the house, the main bedroom retains a lovely cast-iron fireplace and its original wooden floors, while two double bedrooms are separated by the family bathroom,
Up another flight of stairs is a large fourth bedroom, which has the benefit of an en suite. Also at this level is plenty of storage under the eaves and a large built-in wardrobe.
Outside to the rear lies the garden, laid out for entertaining with paving and artificial grass. There is pedestrian access to a lane at the rear, which negates the need to drag garden equipment through the house if new owners decide to develop it further.
Behind its attractive redbrick facade is plenty of insulation, and the low-energy extension coupled with two new roofs and a combination of double- and triple-glazed windows give the house an excellent B3 energy rating.
It is within walking distance of the proposed Metro stop at Griffith Park, and has excellent public transport links.
Number 3 Millmount Avenue is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €750,000.
