Fix it up: D11 maisonette for a housing ladder entrée?

A two-bedroom, ground-floor maisonette at 34 Wadelai Road in Glasnevin, D11 needing substantial upgrading. The neighbours live in a home overhead.

​Tell me more about the place...

Dating from the middle of the 20th century, this circa 550sq ft property comes with a substantial back garden and off-street parking for two cars.

If you have never heard the term maisonette, in Ireland it tends to refer to an apartment in a two-storey building, each with its own separate entrance. This one has a hallway, two double bedrooms, a bathroom, a large living-dining area and a kitchen.

​The bad news?

The psychedelic carpets and bright green walls in some of the rooms speak of a bygone era and in fact it has been quite a while since anybody has called this place home, having been unoccupied for seven years.

You can see evidence of this from some of the pictures, where vegetation appears to have been removed from some of the interior walls.

It is not in great nick and will need a complete re-wire and re-plumb for starters, a new kitchen, or a complete rethink of the kitchen, which is currently quite limited space-wise.

​And the good news?

The chances of finding a home anywhere in this area for anything like this price have long drifted down the River Tolka out to sea. Two-bed apartments in and around the Glasnevin area tend to sell for upwards of €350,000, albeit in better condition.

That said, most of these are in larger apartment schemes, rather than mature 20th century suburban roads like Wadelai. It is on the No11 bus route and about 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre. The living rooms and bedrooms are reasonably well laid out and there is space for any possible reconfiguration of the kitchen.

​How much to buy it?

The agents want €250,000.

​And to fix it up?

Likely you might be looking at in the region of €75,000 to return this property to a liveable condition.

As it has been vacant for so long, it could actually qualify for the vacant property refurbishment grant of up to €50,000.

​What will I end up with?

At the very least, a two-bed starter home with front and back garden and access to a large green area out front in a mature location with good public transport links. There may be scope to extend subject to planning permission, which may be complicated by the fact the property is leasehold.

​Who do I talk to?

When it comes to this maisonette property, Nigel Kennedy of Movehome.ie (01) 884 4690 can help get you in on the ground floor.