4 Prospect House

Barclay Court, Blackrock, Co Dublin

Asking price: €675,000

Agent: Savills New Homes (01) 6181300

Owners of substantial piles in premium Dublin locations, who are looking to move to a smaller home, have of late decided they are no longer ‘downsizers’.

In a perma-positive age, we can only presume this long-used term now proffers some sort of negative connotation for them, perhaps suggesting a slippage in status.

So somewhere along the way, this contingent has concluded that they are, in fact, ‘rightsizers’ and that their process of moving down is in fact ‘rightsizing’.

But with almost no new apartments constructed for the open market in South Dublin through the last four years, there have been problems rightsizing.

The apartment-block construction pipeline of 2018 for example saw Dublin City Council approving apartment schemes in that year for more than 10,000 units.

But every one of those was for the build-to-let market, with none for sale. This, in turn, has also put the availability of second-hand premium apartments under pressure, which all leaves wannabe rightsizers in premium Dublin locations in a pickle, and their options for a late-life move considerably downsized.

Prospect House is a converted mid-18th century mansion

Occasionally, quality larger two-beds are available. This week, Savills is bringing the show apartment at Prospect House to market. This is housed inside a listed 18th century mansion, which the developer was required to restore in order to build houses on the land, likely at no profit or for a loss. Otherwise, the scheme would likely not have been built.

But with strict heritage standards enforced, it does present opportunities for rightsizers all over the south county. First, they can continue to live in a big house. Second, it’s the show apartment, therefore the dazzler in the scheme. Third, at €675,000, a buyer is likely getting a home that cost even more than that to install.

One of the double bedrooms at No4 Prospect House

It has three-foot thick walls from days when the O’Byrnes and O’Tooles still occupied a semi-independent statelet in the Dublin Wicklow Hills and were wont to swoop down in numbers to make off with your contents — insurers didn’t cover hill-tribe larceny. So it’s secure.

At 914 sq ft, the second-floor two-bed has floor space just shy of an average semi-detached three-bed house, with herringbone oak floors and doors, and double-glazed windows by Geraghty Joinery.

Although BER exempt, there’s a proper standard of insulation. It has an open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen, two double bedrooms, two bathrooms, and all windows face south to those once threatening Dublin Hills.

A workstation at No4

The asking price also includes a half garage-sized secure lock-up for your bikes and the grounds are pristinely landscaped.

Number 4 was staged by Darren Lennon of Hyde Interiors, and a buyer could likely negotiate all the furniture and fittings for circa €60,000 extra.

13 Mercer House

Mercer Square, Cabinteely, Dublin 18

Asking price: €375,000

Agent: Sherry FitzGerald (01) 2894386

Meantime, a two-bed with a similar layout has come up for sale at Mercer House, the 2007-built Mercer Square scheme by Tudor Homes in Cabinteely, Dublin 18. Number 13 was acquired new by city-centre-based accountant Anne Gleeson.

The exterior of Mercer House

“There’s a really good management company, so the grounds and common areas are kept really well,” Gleeson says.

“And a great community has developed. We have an active residents group with summer barbeques and meets, and a decent neighbours website. We even have a book-borrowing library. I’ve made good friends here.”

The main living space at No13 with polished timber floors

Also with houses and duplexes, the scheme has a private communal meeting square, big greens and it’s fairly private, being located at the end of a cul-de-sac.

There’s underground private parking, visitor parking, decent security and it still looks new. Number 13 has a pretty decent B BER for this vintage.

Owner of No13, Mercer House, Anne Gleeson. Photo: Bryan Meade

Since buying, Gleeson has changed the kitchen tiles to a cream and grey scheme and added more units, installed quartz counter tops, updated the bathrooms, laid a timber floor and designed and commissioned a bespoke diner-style banquette seating unit. There’s also a Samsung American style fridge-freezer.

A double bedroom at No13

At almost 800 sq ft, the apartment has a large open-plan living/dining room with kitchen and access to a south-facing balcony through double glazed doors.

The double master bedroom has its own ensuite with a bath. Bedroom two is also a double. Both have built-in wardrobes and overlook the square.