
3 Auburn Villas, Rathgar, Dublin 6D06R590
€1,500,000
4 Bed~2 Bath~BER E
What you'll like:
- Victorian architectural character: The residence retains exceptional period features including original floorboards and ornate fireplaces, offering a wonderful sense of historic scale and authentic charm for appreciative buyers.
- Prime Rathgar location: Situated in a discreet and leafy cul-de-sac just off Rathgar Road, providing unmatched privacy while remaining within easy walking distance of local village amenities.
- Substantial garden space: Features a remarkable private rear garden extending to approximately eighty feet with a southeast aspect, creating a secure and mature outdoor environment for family life.
- Generous reception rooms: The principal rooms boast impressive proportions and high ceilings typical of 1847 construction, creating an ideal setting for formal entertaining and comfortable everyday living.
- Double fronted facade: The handsome exterior is enhanced by distinctive granite steps and symmetrical architectural detailing, ensuring a commanding street presence and strong long-term aesthetic appeal.
- Flexible accommodation layout: Includes multiple bedrooms spread across different levels along with dedicated reception spaces, allowing buyers to configure the interior layout to suit modern family requirements.
- Modern kitchen integration: The garden level features a contemporary kitchen outfitted with French oak flooring and polished granite worktops, successfully combining modern culinary convenience with historic architecture.
- Outdoor connectivity: The kitchen opens directly onto the rear patio and garden area, facilitating seamless indoor-outdoor dining and excellent natural light penetration into the lower ground level.
- Proximity to green spaces: Both Bushy Park and the River Dodder are located within easy reach, offering abundant recreational amenities, walking trails, and natural beauty close to home.
- Established neighbourhood desirability: Positioned in one of Dublin's most sought-after residential enclaves, supporting robust property value retention and ongoing community investment appeal for discerning purchasers.
- Village convenience: An excellent choice of local cafes, boutique shops, and neighbourhood restaurants are just a short stroll away, enhancing everyday lifestyle practicality and local engagement.
- Private sanctuary setting: Tucked quietly away from major thoroughfares, the property delivers an unusually peaceful residential atmosphere despite its remarkably central and accessible urban location.
- Development potential: The extensive garden and generous interior volume offer substantial scope for future enhancement and personalization, allowing new owners to stamp their own style on the home.
- Separate family room: The garden level incorporates a dedicated family room complete with an open fireplace, providing a cozy secondary living space distinct from the formal reception rooms.
- Utility accommodation: Includes a functional utility room and cloakroom facilities at the garden level, helping to keep domestic chores organized and separate from main living areas.
- Dressing room provisions: Upper floor bedrooms benefit from attached dressing rooms, offering luxurious storage solutions and enhanced privacy for the primary occupants of the household.
- En suite facilities: Multiple bedrooms feature en suite configurations, improving morning convenience and reducing congestion for larger households or visiting guests sharing the accommodation.
- Natural light optimization: The wide entrance hall and multi-level window placements ensure that the interior remains bright and airy throughout changing daylight hours across the seasons.
- Blank canvas opportunity: Offered as a rare architectural project in an elite area, giving buyers a pristine foundation to restore and modernize a classic Dublin Victorian home.
- Pedestrian accessibility: Excellent public transport links and walking routes nearby provide effortless commuting access to the wider Dublin city centre and surrounding commercial hubs.
But keep in mind:
- Poor BER rating: The property carries an inefficient E energy rating, which will likely necessitate immediate insulation and heating upgrades to achieve comfortable modern living standards.
- Substantial modernization required: The listing notes the property is in need of some updating, meaning buyers should budget significantly for comprehensive interior and structural renovations.
- Historic fabric restrictions: As a protected or period Victorian structure dating from 1847, local planning guidelines may strictly limit the scope and materials permitted for exterior renovations.
- Hidden maintenance costs: Older Victorian homes frequently conceal costly structural issues such as dampness, outdated wiring, or plumbing defects that require thorough specialist engineering surveys.
- Basement level vulnerability: The garden level layout should be carefully inspected for potential moisture ingress, drainage efficiency, and ventilation adequacy typical of lower ground conversions.
- Roof and timber condition: Buyers must verify the structural integrity of the roof timbers and slated coverings, as historic properties often suffer from hidden rot or timber pest infestations.
- Window efficiency concerns: Original or older windows may contribute significantly to heat loss and draftiness, requiring costly specialist refurbishment or sensitive secondary glazing installations.
- Heating system obsolescence: An E-rated home often relies on outdated or inefficient boilers and radiators, necessitating a complete overhaul of the domestic central heating infrastructure.
- Plumbing infrastructure age: Original pipework throughout the property should be professionally inspected to ensure compliance with modern water pressure and sanitation safety requirements.
- Electrical compliance checks: The electrical wiring system must be thoroughly tested by a certified electrician to confirm it meets current safety standards and can handle modern loads.
- Garden boundary maintenance: The extensive eighty-foot garden will require ongoing landscape management, and buyers should inspect boundary walls and fencing for required repairs.
- Limited ground floor bathroom: The primary bathroom facilities are located on upper returns or en suites, which might prove inconvenient for guests or residents using the main reception rooms.
- Parking availability uncertainty: The listing does not detail off-street parking arrangements, so buyers must investigate local street parking permits and vehicle storage options.
- Drainage and sewer inspection: Comprehensive CCTV drain surveys are strongly advised to check for root intrusion or collapsed Victorian-era clay sewer pipes beneath the garden.
- Chimney and flue safety: Open fireplaces in the reception and family rooms require professional certification and sweeping to ensure safe operation and adequate draft performance.
- Ventilation and damp prevention: Due to solid wall construction without modern cavity insulation, buyers should monitor for condensation risks and ensure proper indoor air circulation.
- Renovation timeline delays: Securing planning permissions and specialist conservation builders for a protected period property can lead to prolonged project timelines and cost overruns.
- Unspecified floor area: The total square footage is not provided in the listing details, making it essential to independently measure and verify the exact internal footprint.
- Potential structural movement: Historic properties should be evaluated by a structural engineer for any signs of historical settlement, subsidence, or masonry cracking over time.
- Insulation deficiencies: Roof spaces, floors, and walls lack modern thermal insulation layers, which directly contributes to the poor energy rating and requires extensive retrofitting.
Price positioning
?
- The asking price appears somewhat overvalued because the property requires substantial internal updating, carrying a poor energy rating that will demand significant capital expenditure from the incoming buyer to bring the historic dwelling up to modern habitation standards.
- Undervaluation signals are virtually absent given the premier neighbourhood, yet strong market positioning is supported by the generous room proportions, classic period features, and a remarkably long private south-east facing garden rarely found locally.
- Such a high price point could be undermined by the extensive retrofit costs associated with the weak building energy rating, whereas it could be supported by sustained buyer demand for rare period homes boasting expansive outdoor space in this exclusive enclave.
- Additional relevant market factors include the scarcity of large double-fronted Victorian residences coming to the open market in this specific leafy cul-de-sac, which tends to insulate prestigious heritage properties against broader economic fluctuations.
Build Analysis
What we know from similar construction types
- The property is a handsome double-fronted Victorian residence dating from 1847, retaining original period features such as granite steps, high proportions, original floorboards, and marble fireplaces.
- Given its mid-19th-century construction, a buyer should investigate the condition of the structural elements, roof integrity, timber decay, dampness, and historical damp-proofing measures.
- The listing notes the property is in need of some updating, suggesting potential for modernizing mechanical and electrical services, plumbing, and heating systems.
- A buyer should verify the protected structure status or local conservation area guidelines with the local authority, as alterations to period properties in Rathgar often require specific planning permissions or adherence to architectural preservation standards.
Retrofit Cost*
Possible renovating / insulating expenditure
- The property has a poor BER rating of E, indicating a significant need for energy efficiency upgrades.
- A comprehensive deep retrofit for a period Victorian home of this scale typically costs between 60,000 and 100,000 euros or more.
- Key cost drivers would include sensitive internal or external wall insulation (keeping conservation rules in mind), window restoration or secondary glazing, upgrading the heating system, and improving roof insulation.
- Specialist conservation approaches are often required for period properties, which can increase overall upgrade costs compared to standard modern builds.
Heating cost*
Estimated expense to heat this property every year
- Estimated annual heating cost: €2,800 to €3,800.
- Explanation: Given the large multi-level Victorian period layout and the lower BER rating of E, thermal efficiency is likely low, leading to higher energy consumption to heat the property adequately.
Pollution Safe
9/10Environmental situation to investigate
Flood Safe
8/10Water overflow reports to follow up
Recent Local Sales
Verified residential transactions published in the previous five years
Sales on the same street or estate
12 AUBURN VILLAS, RATHGAR, DUBLIN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €315,000.00
12A AUBURN VILLAS, RATHGAR, DUBLIN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €390,000.00
Recent sales in the wider Rathgar area
19 NORTHBROOK WALK, RANELAGH, DUBLIN 6
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €850,000.00
1 EASTMORE, BUSHY PARK RD, RATHGAR DUBLIN 6
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €580,000.00
101 SANDFORD RD, RANELAGH, DUBLIN 6
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €1,250,000.00
21 SANDYFORD RD, RANELAGH, DUBLIN 6
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €2,200,000.00
284 LR KIMMAGE RD, DUBLIN 6, DUBLIN
- Sale date
- Declared sale price
- €560,000.00
Source: Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), Residential Property Price Register (PPR).
Matching uses address information published by the PPR rather than measured map distance. It may omit nearby properties on differently named streets.
Last Sale
A confidently matched previous PPR transaction for this property
No confidently matched previous sale was found in the Property Price Register.
Buyer fees*
Associated expenses guide
- Stamp duty: approximately €15,000 to €150,000 depending on the applicable residential rate and property value tiers.
- Solicitor legal fees: roughly €1,500 to €3,500 plus VAT and outlay expenses.
- Land registration fees: around €400 to €800 depending on the property value and registration type.
- Property valuation fees: approximately €150 to €300 for mortgage or standard valuation purposes.
- Surveyor fees: roughly €600 to €1,500 depending on the level of detail and type of pre-purchase structural survey required.
- Annual home insurance: approximately €500 to €1,200 depending on the building value, coverage levels, and policy terms.
Forum Talk
What people are saying about this area
- Residents on local forums frequently highlight Rathgar as a highly desirable, leafy, and quiet Victorian enclave with a strong community feel.
- Local discussions often emphasize the convenience of walking to Rathgar Village for its boutiques, cafes, and restaurants.
- Proximity to Bushy Park and the River Dodder is frequently praised by residents for recreation and weekend walks.
- Traffic management and parking within older cul-de-sacs and residential pockets occasionally feature in local community discussions.
LifeFit Assessment
How well this property may suit your lifestyle
Family
7 areas- Young Children7/10
The property features an approximately 80-foot private rear garden with a southeast aspect, providing ample outdoor space for young children to play. Proximity to Bushy Park and the River Dodder adds great recreational value. However, the multi-level Victorian layout with granite steps and a BER of E means parents should investigate insulation and potential safety modifications for toddlers.
- Teenagers8/10
With four bedrooms and generous, well-proportioned accommodation including a garden level with a family room and bedroom, there is plenty of independent space for teenagers. The location in Rathgar offers easy access to local amenities and city routes.
- Multi-generational Living6/10
The double-fronted Victorian layout offers substantial space across multiple levels, including a garden level with a kitchen, family room, utility, and a bedroom. However, the traditional period configuration may require reconfiguration to fully accommodate independent multi-generational living comfortably.
- Single Buyers4/10
As a large, handsome 4-bedroom Victorian residence with an asking price of €1,500,000 and the need for some updating, this property is typically suited to buyers with higher budgets and families rather than single buyers starting out.
- Couples7/10
Offers grand period proportions, impressive principal reception rooms, and a fantastic garden, making it ideal for couples who enjoy hosting and character homes. The requirement for modernising works should be factored into renovation plans.
- Empty Nesters7/10
Empty nesters will appreciate the quiet, leafy cul-de-sac setting and walking distance to Rathgar Village, cafés, and restaurants. The extensive garden and period features offer a wonderful downsizing project, though maintaining a large Victorian home can be demanding.
- Retirees6/10
The location provides fantastic convenience to village amenities and healthcare services, but retirees should note the multi-story nature of the home, its distinctive granite steps, and the need for modernization, which may pose challenges for ageing in place without adaptation.
Work
3 areas- Remote Working8/10
The property includes a first-floor return study/child’s bedroom and multiple versatile rooms, making it ideal for setting up dedicated home offices. Buyers should verify broadband speeds.
- Hybrid Commuting8/10
Located in Rathgar with good transport links into Dublin city centre, supporting convenient hybrid commuting schedules.
- Retired7/10
Well-positioned for retirees seeking proximity to urban amenities, medical services, and village life, provided they are comfortable managing a period property.
Practical
8 areas- Ageing in Place4/10
The multi-story Victorian layout, basement-style garden level, and distinctive granite entrance steps mean significant adaptations would be required for comfortable ageing in place.
- Low Maintenance3/10
As a period Victorian residence dating from 1847 with a BER rating of E and noted as being in need of some updating, ongoing maintenance will be required.
- Secure Gated Entry3/10
The property is located on an open, leafy cul-de-sac behind traditional steps, with no mention of a secure gated entrance.
- Minimalist Design2/10
This is a classic period home characterized by Victorian grandeur, original floorboards, marble fireplaces, and ornate architectural details rather than minimalist design.
- Flexible Floor Plans7/10
Features generous accommodation across multiple levels, including a garden-level independent feel and flexible reception spaces offering a blank canvas for customization.
- Heritage Home10/10
A handsome double-fronted Victorian residence dating from 1847, retaining exceptional character, original fireplaces, floorboards, and period proportions.
- Ecological Setup3/10
The BER rating of E indicates that the property is likely energy-inefficient, and buyers should investigate upgrading insulation and heating systems.
- Outdoor areas9/10
Features a remarkable private rear garden extending to approximately 80 feet with a southeast aspect, mature planting, and a patio area off the kitchen.
Interests
9 areas- Gardening9/10
Features a remarkable private rear garden extending to approximately 80 feet with mature planting, established greenery, and a southeast aspect, offering fantastic potential for keen gardeners.
- Walking9/10
Bushy Park and the River Dodder are within easy reach, alongside walkable access to Rathgar Village and local amenities.
- Gym6/10
While private fitness facilities are not specified on-site, the generous room proportions offer plenty of space to install a home gym, and standard commercial facilities can be accessed in the wider Dublin 6 area.
- Cycling7/10
The established south Dublin location allows for manageable cycling routes into the city centre and surrounding parks.
- Golf6/10
Proximity to south Dublin residential hubs places several established golf clubs within a reasonable driving distance.
- Fishing5/10
The River Dodder is nearby, though fishing opportunities are limited compared to rural settings.
- Horse Riding4/10
An urban setting with limited equestrian facilities nearby, though some stables may be found further out in the county.
- Water Sports3/10
Inland location means water sports require travel toward Dublin Bay or local aquatic centres.
- Entertaining9/10
Impressive principal reception rooms with period details, a modern kitchen opening onto a patio, and an 80ft southeast-facing garden make this property exceptionally well-suited for indoor and outdoor entertaining.
Lifestyle
5 areas- Quiet Living8/10
The property is quietly positioned tucked away in one of Rathgar’s most discreet and leafy cul-de-sacs, offering an exceptional sense of privacy despite its urban Dublin 6 location.
- Rural Living2/10
Located firmly in the established urban neighborhood of Rathgar, Dublin 6, offering city convenience rather than rural isolation.
- Village Living9/10
The home is within easy walking distance of Rathgar Village, offering an excellent choice of cafés, restaurants, and boutiques right on the doorstep.
- Coastal Living2/10
This is an inland suburban property in Dublin with no coastal proximity.
- Urban Living9/10
Situated in prestigious Dublin 6, the property provides immediate access to urban conveniences, top-tier dining, and easy connections into central Dublin.
Social
6 areas- Community Involvement8/10
Rathgar is a well-established, tight-knit community with local associations, parks, and active neighborhood engagement.
- Café Culture9/10
An excellent choice of local cafés, restaurants, and boutiques are available within easy walking distance in Rathgar Village.
- Nightlife7/10
Local pubs and eateries provide pleasant evening options, with more extensive nightlife readily accessible in nearby Rathmines and Dublin city centre.
- Health/Wellness groups7/10
Proximity to Bushy Park and local wellness classes supports active health lifestyles in the area.
- Networking Opportunities7/10
Dublin 6 location offers strong professional connectivity and social networking proximity within the capital.
- Tech-Hub Connectivity8/10
Easy access to Dublin's major business and technology districts, though buyers should verify specific fibre broadband availability.
Listing information
- Agent
- Mullery O Gara Estate Agents
- Phone
- 01 255 2489
- Published on HouseDelve
- 15 September 2026
- Correction
- Report an issue
HD-36CDB8HouseDelve · Republic of Ireland* Estimate — not advice. Actual costs and outcomes can vary materially. Obtain current quotations and professional advice before making financial or property decisions.