Niche development’s estuary views will satisfy your lofty ambitions

CHARLEMONT HEIGHTS is well-named, as the hillside houses have a lofty demeanour and a view over the Douglas estuary and the lights of Mahon Point.

There’s only a dozen or so 2,000 sq ft houses in Rochestown’s Charlemont Heights, a development off Coach Hill which set a bit of a style marker for the mid to late 1980s.

The houses only infrequently come up for sale, though two are on the market this month.

First up is No 6, which has been owned by its occupants since the very first day. They got an input into its layout, presciently opting for an open-plan kitchen/dining layout, while developers Dovey also included en suite bathrooms and a walk in wardrobe in the master bedrooms.

No 6 is new to the market with William Hunter of Davis Hunter auctioneers, which seeks €850,000 and feels it may go higher in bidding.

It is in quite original condition, well-kept but no longer at the sharper edge of contemporary interior design, so most new owners will probably do a bit of modernising.

The next door neighbours have added on an extension to the side, thus preserving and adding to the views spread out beneath these homes, so this might point the way forward for whoever buys No 6, suggests Mr Hunter.

The rear, south-facing garden is stepped on two levels, while the front of the house has a sloping front lawn and drive. The owners here opted to reduce the slope of the drive by shortening it and adding on steps up to the brick-arched front door, so demands on car handbrakes are reduced.

Internally, No 6 has a hall with maple floor and hardwood staircase, a 20’ by 13’ drawing room with bay window and radiators placed under floor vents, a family room also with estuary views, a guest WC, plus cloakroom, and a spacious open kitchen/dining room measuring 25’ by 12’, with original kitchen units and a patio door to the stepped back garden.

Both the master en suite bedrooms and bedroom four, which has a wide and shallow dormer window, have captivating water and harbour area views. Heating is by oil, with a solid fuel back boiler back-up.