Shrewd buy in sought after southern city suburb

GOD Bless the optimism in the naming of this property on Donnybrook Hill, Douglas.

San Tropez is a fair bit away from olive groves and azure seas so the name must allude to the luxury of the placement, rather than the climate.

Set on a mature, third of an acre site, this is an unusual house: it doesn't fit the standard bungalow design and, in fact, has a curved wall on one side and a stone-walled addition to the front. And it packs in 2,400 square feet under its roof, with six bedrooms and a range of big living rooms.

The upper floor has been recently renovated (the house dates from the 1970s) and comes with three of the bedrooms en suite, but there's plenty of scope for new owners to put their stamp on the property, says Jean Shanahan of DNG Harris Properties.

However, at the asking price of €725,000, and considering the mature site and convenience to Douglas, this would be a shrewd buy for those looking for a larger than average foothold in the southern suburb, she says.

Architecturally designed, and certainly unique, this house offers complete privacy and is just five minutes from the centre of Douglas.

The main living rooms are quite large and run to a sitting room, dining room, family room, a huge kitchen with flag stone floor and a big utility.

There's one bedroom, a study and a main bathroom on the ground floor, with five double rooms overhead. Most of the rooms have wooden floors, upstairs and down.

The gardens have the lushness of years and the driveway extends around the back, giving space for a party-load of cars. A large patio wraps around the house and there's access from the living rooms via patio doors - and the house is not overlooked.