Located just opposite Dalkey’s Barnhill Stores – noted for its fine artisan produce, wine cellar and premium meats from FX Buckley – lies Carn, a fully renovated property that has been recently brought to the market through Hunters Estate Agent.
The property, which was purchased by its current owners for €715,000 in 2022, according to the Property Price Register, is like a Tardis, as it has five bedrooms and extends to a considerable 182sq m (1,953sq ft) beyond its unassuming facade.
Only the four walls remain from its former incarnation, such was the extent of its renovations. The chimneys were removed, the house was re-roofed, the floors were replaced and the entire property was replastered internally and externally. This was in addition to plumbing, electrical and decorative changes, which included the installation of wide-plank oak and ensuring the ceilings would be high.
The property now has an energy rating of B1, which for a house dating from about the 1930s, is quite a feat: “We put insulation in the roof, floors and internal walls. We even put it between the ground and first floor,” say the owners, who are now downsizing locally.
There had been a separate one-bedroom unit which was amalgamated with the original building and a spate of sheds that were removed to reveal the extent of the site, which is laid out with mostly lawn and mature trees framed by old stone walls.
The property now has three reception areas including a self-contained den as well as spacious open-plan dining and living areas off the kitchen.
With Neff appliances, a pantry and quartz countertops, the kitchen is the real heart of this home. What is lovely about the open-plan space is the sets of bifold and trifold doors from the dining and living areas respectively, which extend these areas into outdoor spaces, making them great for entertaining. The patio which these rooms open out on to has a west-facing orientation, allowing “sun from about lunchtime, where it stays until the nightfall”.
The den, a cosy spot away from the open-plan spaces, sits adjacent to the three downstairs bedrooms to the front of the house, one of which has an en suite and a dressingroom.
Upstairs are two further bedrooms, illuminated by Velux windows, and the room to the rear has a shower room.
The house also features a separate utility room, which, thanks to its generous size, offers plenty of space in lieu of a cloakroom. Fired by oil, the property is wired for electric gates and a car charger and all windows to the front have triple glazing to keep bedrooms free from any noise from Barnhill Road.
Besides its turnkey condition, where all new owners will have to do is unpack, now that all renovation headaches are over, its location will be a real selling point for house-hunters in the Dalkey area. It is minutes from the charming seaside village and within walking distance of a host of transport links. Carn is now on the market seeking €1.385 million through Hunters.
