You have to wonder, don’t you?The pic you see here is of a new semi-detached house down a lane in Rathgar. I think estate agents call them “mews”. It’s been on the market for eight months, and the builder is looking for a cool €1,350,000.
That’s a lot of money, right? But let's face it, if he wants to lodge that amount in his bank account these days he’d stand a better chance by buying a Lotto ticket. The days when builders and developers could command Beverley Hills money for ordinary dwellings in dreary Dublin are gone - and gone for good.
All that boom-time credit had all the real worth of Monopoly money - it was never really in the economy in the first place. And if it was never really there before, you can be pretty sure it won't be coming back. That’s why we have NAMA. But if you're a builder you probably wouldn't see that.
But speaking of builders. Have a look at the picture and tell me do you see anything odd? Bizarre even? Something funny about the door? Yes, that’s it - it’s on the second floor! So the only thing between anyone walking out of it and landing in a bloody, crumpled heap on the ground is the rarified Rathgar air.
There’s been some speculation on The Property Pin about this, much of it very amusing. Is the builder a visionary? Does he anticipate an earlier-than-forecast rise in sea levels? Or is it a special door for unwelcome guests, maybe the worse for wear after a few beers? “No, really. After you, I insist! Go ahead!”.
Or is it supposed to be some form of fire escape that our friend Bob simply has not got around to finishing off? And bear in mind the amount being asked.
There’s been some speculation on The Property Pin about this, much of it very amusing. Is the builder a visionary? Does he anticipate an earlier-than-forecast rise in sea levels? Or is it a special door for unwelcome guests, maybe the worse for wear after a few beers? “No, really. After you, I insist! Go ahead!”.
Or is it supposed to be some form of fire escape that our friend Bob simply has not got around to finishing off? And bear in mind the amount being asked.
€1.35 mill? I don’t think so, Bob. Stairs or not.
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5 comments:
1,35 Mill? Great, really great.
Imagine, this house would be finished and with stairs, what then? 2 Mill?
Anyway GM, some of the sellers still think the celtic tiger is only on a piss break and about ready to return for good.
Look at our Region: Ballyknockan (aka the end of the world): 4 bedroom with 'kinda' lakeview 650,000; or the 200 squaremetres luxury home for 1,3 Mill with no Lakeview. But with indoor swimming pool instead. And, remember: They are based in Ballyknockan. Far away from civilization.
And you wonder about prices like that in Dublin? ;-)
Hi GM, you'd have to wonder how many more oddities/mistakes/shortcuts are in this house, when there is such an obvious gaff with a door to as you describe into the rarified Rathgar air. The vendor is not living on planet reality if she/he thinks they will get anything approaching the asking price. House prices are down 40%-50%, depending on what commentator you choose to believe.
Mistake? You clearly don't know much about architecture GM, that's a "Feature." It's unique nature probably ads at least a cool half mill to this 'wonderfully appointed' home.(has anyone else ever asked themselves what this means in none estate agent speak?)
The vendor may be an idiot, the builder a cowboy, but the real gougers here must be the estate agent.
I had to laugh (better than the alternative) when I saw the 'ah sure they're not all bad you know' article by Sarah Carey in the Irish Times recently. Apparently all the poor estate agents were getting a bad press and most of them were delightful people. If that's the case, the forty-odd estate agents that we met over the space of years of house hunting in Dublin at the height of the madness must be completely unrepresentative of their professions. Not one of them would I trust as far as my long deceased Granny could throw them.
hi thereMR GM the good folks of rathgaaaar may not agree that their propeties are worth less than beverly hills which they would regard as crass vulgar upstarts ,and are not impressed with grammys or other rewards for excellence, learjets bentlys yawths etc nocd, not ourclass dear just tea the queen, as for the house with no steps this is a high concept low teck innovation the builder leaves an old jcb digger just jump in the bucket and get an uplift to the door untill you can afford your own steps ,the news of the world would love thatone front page material, OH BTW great work by irish immigration on nabbing those 3 turrists from texas. so long from BEVERLY HILLS
Harald -that's a lot of money alright. We were talking to an estate agent and he said they were even slower to "adjust" their prices in the sticks than elsewhere.
Yes, Ella, this guy is still living in 2006 I think, where even with estate agents there has been a slow dawning of reality. About time too, but I would trust them as far as Bigphathar does! Not at all.
Mr BH, you're right of course - Beverly Hills is in the ha'penny place compared with our prestigious South Dublin 'burbs. And it's good to know our immigration boys and girls are doing their bit to bolster the tourism industry!
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