Sarsfield Park Lucan - house coming for sale in new year?

Hannaho

Hi! Just wondered what anyone thinks of this area in Lucan. Friend has been told there is a house coming for sale there - someone she knows heard it form the owner. 3 bed 950 sq feet - needs updating, new wiring, plumbing, kitchen and bathroom. The person who is selling it is looking for e250k and my friend thinks about 60k to renovate. Is it worth it? I know they are fabulously located in the village, but it is ex council and I wondered whether this may affect sale price in future. Any comments/advice??

The_Conductor

Hannah- I live across the road from them (literally- in one of the townhouses at the Ulster Bank)- and I've lived in Lucan village for over 40 years........

Houses in Sarsfield Park come on the market periodically- however, they are always difficult for local estate agents to shift- because of the amount of work they need.

McDonald Brothers- have been selling one in there- for the last year almost- it started out at 250k- no idea where it ended up........

60k for renovations- is optimistic to say the least- if the property has not received periodic updating and maintenance (which many of them have- but a significant number of them have not)- its not a bit of rewiring and plumbing it needs- its pretty much going to need to be gutted- and redone entirely- the superstructure will be sound- as will the roof- the rest- well, you'll totally redo it, starting upstairs and working your way down.

You are right- it is an excellent location- and it is lovely to live in the vicinity (Sarsfield Park has around 3.5 acres of amenity space itself- and is popular with kids from the area esp. on summer evenings- where you'll find a few football matches going on, at Halloween, where there is always a communal bonfire- and in the winter- where all the locals have their snowmen etc).

It used to have a reputation in the 80s as a rough estate- and it was a problem estate- as a significant number of the families there were unemployed- however- its almost entirely privately owned now- and people have pride in it.

Its part of Lucan proper- and you qualify for all the local St. Mary's schools- unlike Esker/Balgaddy etc- which are different parishes.

If your friend really wants one- they *need* to go into this with their eyes wide open. It is not 60k to do up one of these- it would be quite easy to add another 100k and come out of it with a nice house- but nothing spectacular.

250k- is very much the high end of what I (and a lot of locals) would expect to pay in there- unless the property was extensively renovated already- and even then- its expensive- these are smallish houses with very small gardens (a few of which have bizarre collections of garden gnomes). There are a few different house types in the mix- some of which have/had garages (and of which have long since been converted).

I'd have no hesitiation recommending the area- however- I think you're being hopelessly optimistic if you think 60k will renovate one.

If you'd like a few photos- pm me your e-mail address and I'll get a few over the next day or two.

Link to recent sales in the estate from Property Price Register

Here is one that has just gone sale agreed @ 235k I understand. This one has been modernised- perhaps not to everyone's taste- but you're not looking at rewiring/plumbing/gutting the place. No. 96.......

Hannaho

Hi! Conductor, thanks for your very informative reply. I myself bought a doer upper in Kew Park about 4 years ago - I'm still doing it up and it is costing a lot more than I anticipated.

The house that my friend is interested in is actually in good condition but the person who owns it and was renting it out was going to get it rewired on a recommendation of an electrician - new fuse board but old wiring. Also the owner was going to get it replumbed - old piping and oil central heating. My friend has been in the house at a gathering of friends of the owner and it is modern inside. The owner's children are grown up now and they are finding it too big. It's actually probably the biggest house in Sarsfield Park - it is a double fronted terraced house - Sherry Fitzgerald had it advertised in 2008 at a very high price when the owner originally bought it - I can't find the add - but I'm sure the add said 1600 sq ft. I've never been in the house, but I've seen it from the outside. It's a good size and a real family home - she has three teenage boys 11-15 - so ideal from a size point of view - it has 4/5 bedrooms. She and hubby could stretch to 100k renovation costs - they did look at a house in Kew Park near me but would prefer to be in the Village. The reason I was reticent re the house is when I mentioned it to a neighbour here there was a huge degree of snobbiness re buying there - so I suppose the Council issue still sticks though it is now mostly privately owned.

The_Conductor

Theres at least one for sale in the Orchard and 2 in the Village Weir- across the road (the quality of the building work in the Orchard leave a lot to be desired- given the couple of engineers reports I've seen- but the Village Weir is good (though most of them need new heating systems etc). There are plenty of other options in the village proper.

Also- very few people are 'snobby' about Sarsfield Park anymore- the vast preponderance of the property in there is privately owned, and owner occupied- which in this day and age is quite remarkable- and bodes very well for any estate.

Personally- I think they're quite small- however, I grew up in a much larger property and think most Dublin houses are tiny (my own included).

If the house in Sarsfield Park has been reasonably well maintained- and the work is as you've said- I'd still say get a proper engineer's report- and that its damn expensive @ 250k (they are not getting a bargain by any means).

Recent sale prices in Lucan village have been falling recently even in nice estates like 'The Orchard' etc- just because one sold recently for 255 in Sarsfield Park- does not mean another will ever sell at this price ever again.........

Hannaho

Thanks again. They don't want the Orchard as it apartments as far as I know - they want a large house and the one they like in Sarsfield is 4/5 bedrooms - it had a double story extension added at the side. Re. The Village Weir -are there 3/4 bed houses there - I thought it was all duplexes and hasn't it flooded in the past. They did consider a 3 bed in Laraghcon, but want to be right in the Village and don't like the mix of apartments and houses - and I have to say I would agree with them on this.

The_Conductor

Hannaho wrote: »

Thanks again. They don't want the Orchard as it apartments as far as I know - they want a large house and the one they like in Sarsfield is 4/5 bedrooms - it had a double story extension added at the side. Re. The Village Weir -are there 3/4 bed houses there - I thought it was all duplexes and hasn't it flooded in the past. They did consider a 3 bed in Laraghcon, but want to be right in the Village and don't like the mix of apartments and houses - and I have to say I would agree with them on this.

Heya again-

No- the Village Weir is where the Cinema used to be (yes it is duplexes and apartments though. Its never flooded ever. Weir View- on the other hand- to the left just over the bridge- used flood frequently. I've photos of my neighbours and I boating there as kids- along the road down towards Dunlops/Marshalls. I always wondered how they've been so lucky lately........

I agree with you on Laraghcon- I particularly dislike all the little cul-de-sacs up there. My family actually owned the fruit farm up there once upon a time- that was home for me as a kid.

Hannaho

Gosh you really are a Lucanite! So many of us blow-ins! Weir View then is those lovely old houses as your turn left over the bridge - it makes sense re the flooding - they're so near the river - but what a lovely view/aspect! The other houses that I really like in Lucan - but they are too small for a family - are the small terraced houses opposite the Italian Ambassador's Residence - when I retire and have an empty nest maybe....!