That garden has been a must visit for as long as I can remember for keen gardeners in and coming to Ireland.
One of the top gardens in Ireland and I would imagine the top town garden here any way. The planting is beautiful, though I think I preferred the lawn instead of the water
In terms of the world who knows?
Can’t believe it is up for sale and also that Helen Dillon is almost 80.
Same, won’t be surprised if it’s removed. Will be interesting to see if the garden survives (surely requires a huge amount of maintenance?) or if it will be flattened for a big lawn.
House next door got €4.35m last year, let’s see what this makes.
I agree, I can’t see anyone not filling that in.
I think this will fly, it is a total wow house - it really has everything. Still a stonking price though so I can’t see it going for much over 5
I love the spin of Sherry FitzGerald, trying to imply that this house (No 45 Sandford Terrace) was in poorer shape then its neighbour No 47 Sandford Terrace, which sold for 4.35m at start 2015 (and hence the pricing achieved was stronger).
SF forgot to mention that the Dillon site of 45 is almost 20% bigger than the neighbors plot (2,050 sq m vs 1,700 sq m) at 0.50 acres vs. 0.42 acres (worth about 400k in price difference in this part of the world, where land is ++4m per acre). Also, the Dillon house is a bigger period house (c. 1,000 sq ft of extra period structure over 47’s cheap modern extension; worth at least another 200k alone), and the Dillon house has a better external shape (nice square giving a better and more impressive “detached” feel) and internal layout (not an awkward “L” like the shape of 47).
45 also has terrific extension potential on its wide north side that can accommodate a modern (double height if needed), block that swings down from the front and into the garden (i.e a perpendicular south facing blow-out modern kitchen that can still be entered into from the front, which would not affect the protected structure of the back wall - the key to modernising this house, and again something which 47 could not do as its side was far too narrow, and was on the wrong side (it would be looking back north) - hence the awkwardness of 47’s side extension).
The cheap, and much lesser extension, on the narrower side slot of 47 does not make up for the above. 47 also had quite a cheap internal fit out (a lot of its period features were gone and what was there was more “functional” than impressive). 47’s awkward modern extension had expensive good quality floor to ceiling glass panels, but the rest of the extension was cheaply done (worth < 100k all-in, but would rather have the extra space in more valuable period as per above). I notice the new owners of 47, have already set Max O’Flatherty to work on upgrading the extension and the interior (paneling here we come) under new planning.
45 is THE house here - no contest.
In any proper match up, 45 (Dillon House) is a more valuable house than 47 by AT LEAST 600k (in land and bigger period vs period plus cheap extension of 47), never-mind the Dillon garden and the better extension potential on the side of 45. (hence the asking of 45 was 4.6m vs. asking of 47 at 3.95m, which made sense).
Shows how weak the market is that Sherry Fitzgerald (notorious for leaving high end houses on market for ages at premium askings) kicked for touch so quickly for only a tiny margin over 47 (despite 45 being so more more valuable). Might have been the owners direction / risk aversion. The agent might have been terrified at not making 47’s price (despite 45 being a superior house), which would have been a disaster. The highly unusual step of immediately advertising the sale price of 45, and the attempted (and crudely misleading) spin at comparison vs. 47 sale price, hints at desperation here in the Dublin high-end.
45 was one of the best high end houses to come up in D4 D6 in the last two years imho. Would have been my choice, over and above almost all others that have sold. Outstanding house, aspect, site position and location at the “doors” of Ranelagh (which has improved dramatically since the GFC in eateries and pubs). Almost perfect.
I thought that given 47’s pricing, that 45 would have made closer to 5m, but I think that market is just not as strong, as evidenced by SF’s sale spin and quick close out. The buyers of 45 got a far better deal the buyers of 47.
PS. I noticed even more desperation from SF, with another “plant” article in the Irish Times today about 5 Temple Gardens appearance on the PPR for 6.5m (which was not a real “transaction”, but done for for tax planning, where an artificially high price is needed). This is discussed in more detail on the 5 Temple Gardens thread thepropertypin.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=65965, but it was an even more desperate attempt to shift the north facing 7 Temple Gardens thepropertypin.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=64383&p=830569 (neither 7 or 5 Temple Gardens on their 0.22 acre, fully north facing, plots, are not worth the same as 45 Sandford Road on its 0.50 acre fully south facing plot … and SF, plus the market of high-end buyers, know this.)