Forgoing travel in favour of renovating a fixer upper paid off for a young couple in Dublin, who now have a stylish modern home to sell
Asking price: €450,000
Agent: DNG Rathfarnham (01) 490 4666
Put off by the idea of renting indefinitely, a young Dublin couple decided to buy a ‘doer upper’ in Rathfarnham.
“We were 26 when we started the house buying process – maybe it was a bit mad. In our circle of friends we were the outliers, but we liked the idea of owning a home and making it our own, while saving on rent,” says Ashley Nolan.
The couple purchased the 807 sq ft Scholarstown two-bedroom, one bathroom house in 2021 during the Covid-19 lockdown. “We were at lockdown three at that point and prices were going up and up. We lost multiple bidding wars before finally getting the property for €410,000.”
The couple moved home for a while and worked several jobs to get the mortgage deposit. “I worked three jobs at the time – in marketing, hospitality and social media. We worked long days from 5am to 9pm to make it happen,” she says.
The exterior of 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
Originally Nolan and her partner, software engineer Darren Coughlan, wanted to buy an apartment, until they came across the house. “We liked the location – it’s halfway between our respective parents’ houses, it has a garden and has a cottage feel. It was also around our budget range,” she says. “Also, we don’t have to pay management fees, which come with apartment living.”
Nolan says the property was a rental before the couple purchased it: “So it was a bit run down. It was functional, but tired-looking. The kitchen was dated, the upstairs carpets were worn, there was mould everywhere.”
The living room and staircase at 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
The house was built in 1992, so it’s from a time of “wallpaper and patterns”. “We did a lot when we first moved in, across both floors and the garden,” she adds.
After buying the house, the first thing the couple did was purchase a sliding glass Palladio door, which brings you right into the living room. “There’s a small porch with tiled flooring and the door, which has a 65mm reinforced fibreglass monocoque, preventing warping or fading,” says Nolan. “It keeps the icy wind out of the apartment.”
The living room of 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
Once you go through the door, you’re in the open plan living room. “We replaced the flooring with wooden laminate and painted the banisters. We also removed things we hated – except the stair runner. Controversially, I loved it and didn’t care what anyone thought,” Nolan says.
The couple also made a “contentious choice” when they decided to close the fireplace in the living room. “It didn’t go down too well – especially with the parents, who love open fires – but we love it. I’m not a fan of open fires, but we kept the wood in the fireplace to make it look authentic,” she adds.
The kitchen of 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
“We used sheep’s wool insulation to stop drafts, and got double glazing. The house is rated C2/C3, so it’s warm – even in winter we’d put the heating on for an hour a day tops,” Coughlan says.
To the rear downstairs, the kitchen is separated from the living room. “We prefer it that way – some houses are completely open plan, but we like the separation,” he adds.
The kitchen and dining area of 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
The couple installed a completely new kitchen through Kitchen World. “We decided on neutral tones to keep it warm and cosy, with subtle splashes of colour. The kitchen came in at under €10,000. We installed and stripped it ourselves and kept it kind of neutral to appeal to potential buyers. Every decision was intentional,” Coughlan says.
Upstairs, the first-floor landing has two bedrooms and provides attic access via a sliding ladder. It also has one bathroom. “After moving in, I couldn’t wait to do it up and started by painting the bathroom blue, because we both love the sea – and it was the middle of Christmas, so we wanted some nice colour.” Nolan says.
The master bedroom of 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
The main bedroom, located to the rear, includes wood flooring and built-in wardrobes. “We did all the sanding on the wooden floor ourselves. There was an old carpet upstairs, so we took it up,” she adds.
The smaller bedroom was turned into an office, where Coughlan works full-time: “The bay window fits my desk so I can look out while I’m working.” There’s enough space in the room for a couch and a vanity desk and mirror for Nolan to do her hair and makeup.
The second bedroom (currently a home office) of 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
The couple had help from friends and family to deal with the plumbing and electrics. “There’s attic space too, which is insulated and has beams exposed, flooring and ladder access. You can stand up fully, so it would be an office or bedroom in the future,” says Coughlan. “Some people in the neighbourhood have converted the attic, so you could do it. Outside, there’s also potential for a 430 sq ft extension at the back – the garden allows it.”
The garden was in a state of neglect, and the couple did some cosmetic work on it. “We cut back brambles, added a flowerbed, cleaned the paving stones, power washed the yard and planted lavender and rose bushes. There were several dead trees – one of which fell into the neighbour’s garden, so we removed them. We planted some trees to replace the ones which fell, but we’ll never see them grow,” Coughlan says.
The garden of 184 Woodfield, Scholarstown Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
The 37.7 x 12.5 ft garden has a patio, mature planted borders, large storage shed with power sockets and seating area to the rear. “We painted the walls white one day, just to liven it up,” he adds.
Despite enjoying living on the street, the couple think now is a time to buy something bigger.
“The house is a great size with lots of potential, but we want to position ourselves for the future now and get more space. The house was a perfect starter home – we’re aware that we’re very young to be selling already,” says Coughlan.
“We thought about renting and travelling the world, or buying a house and travelling the world later – we got the house first. We thought, ‘we can do all that when we’ve bought the house’.”
DNG is seeking €450,000.