The rain was belting down in Dublin on Wednesday morning and many of the houses around Ranelagh had Christmas fairy lights twinkling in the windows. It’s times such as this that Georgian properties come into their own. Those of us who aren’t lucky enough to live in a period house, may wish we could run up the granite steps, slip in the tall front door, shake ourselves off in the corniced entrance halls and slink back on a luxe sofa with a hot cup of cocoa. We would warm ourselves by the blazing fire — set in an original fireplace — as we watch the world go by through the outsized sash windows. A property editor can dream.
There was no Christmas tree up at No 79 Ranelagh Road, but the restored four-bedroom house does have the original fireplace, sash windows with shutters and a fine entrance hall with cornicing and centre roses.
Unusually, it has been placed on the market less than two weeks before Christmas, but the festive season hasn’t dampened interest. There are viewings this week, and agent Owen Reilly says the owner is hoping the house will catch the eye of emigrants back for the holidays. He may be on to something.
“With the economy recovering, a lot of people who went away for economic reasons and have since started families, are now keen to raise their families back home in Dublin. We only listed this on Tuesday and we have people who want to view it between Christmas and new year, so certainly around December 27, 28 and 29, we’ll be doing viewings,” says Reilly.
Returning emigrants have become a feature of the market over the past couple of years. “Many have done well overseas and are coming back with big cash deposits. They’re not necessarily moving back to Dublin tomorrow. They might buy the house, but not move back for a couple of years.”
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The current owner restored No 79 this year, from six drab bedsits to a large family home. It measures 215 sq metres.
He installed new plumbing, electrics and bathrooms, and had much of the original plasterwork restored. The cornicing is intricate and the history of the property is etched out on the small dents in the architraves — none is unsightly; they add to the character of the house.
When the owner removed the 1960s panelling from the walls in the interconnecting reception rooms at entrance level, he revealed an original large fireplace in the back room. There was none in the front room so he had a replica made. When he pulled up the dreary, worn carpets there was a fine wooden floor underneath, so he sanded them down and buffed them up.
The original windows were unsalvageable so he replaced them with sash double glazing.
To the back of the house, at the first floor return, is a contemporary, tiled shower room with rainfall shower.
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Down at garden level there’s the first of the four bedrooms, which could be refashioned as a play room. To the back of the house is a fully fitted, cream gloss kitchen. The Rangemaster oven and double American-style fridge freezer is included in the sale. A dining area has french doors to the back garden.
This house isn’t for garden lovers. The east-facing back garden is small, but you could put a patio set out there for a get-together. It’s separated from a mews on Dartmouth Lane by a brick wall. New owners may want to increase privacy by putting up a trellis. There is, however, a long garden to the front of the house — a rare offering in some parts of Ranelagh — with parking space for up to three cars.
The top level of the house is given over to three bedrooms and another bathroom. There is plenty of storage throughout No 79: tall, built-in wardrobes in the bedrooms, a utility area at garden level and a row of presses under the stairs.
The house is on the market for €1.25m, though don’t expect it to stay on for too long, especially if Reilly’s prediction is right and viewings are busy over the Christmas period.
There were three sales on Ranelagh Road in November alone. They fetched from €950,000 to €1.685m.
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Dartmouth Square, around the corner, has also been busy for sales this year, and while new owners may not have a Georgian square to look out over, they will have the Dublin 6 address.
You can see the Luas trundling quietly by behind the property, it is 15 minutes’ walk from St Stephen’s Green and you will be a short stroll from some of the best restaurants and cafes in the city.