32 Howth Lodge, Howth, Co Dublin
Asking price: €1.55m
It is common enough practice for a family with two teenage children to move from an apartment to a suburban house in a mature neighbourhood on their way up the property ladder. It is seldom, however, that you hear of things happening the other way around.
But this is exactly what transpired when the current owners of No 32 Howth Lodge moved from their home in leafy Clontarf to a brand new penthouse at the swanky development on Claremont Road back in 2004.
Not everybody was happy about it at the time. The family of four included a boy who was just beginning university at Trinity College Dublin and who would be left with a significantly longer commute as a result of the move — to say nothing of a longer journey home after student nights out. There was a daughter too, who was still at school, and a further complication in the shape of a beloved family pet they were assured at first would be allowed to live at the complex, only to be told later that the scheme was not dog friendly.
“It was a big heartbreak,” the owner says. “Because initially, we were told we could bring the dog, and we had it there for a year. Then we were told we couldn’t. He was so well-behaved, too. He knew to just sit at the hall door if he wanted to go out. Luckily, we had friends living nearby and they were able to take him in, and he was close enough that we could still take him out for walks whenever we wanted.”
Apart from these teething problems, life at Howth presented mostly upsides. Their daughter was at school in nearby Sutton, which meant she was now closer to her friends and had a much shorter commute, and her father was then chief operations officer for a large retail multiple and was travelling at lot at the time. Closer proximity to Dublin airport allowed for more time at home with the family.
“All those little things were improvements to our lives, and the kids eventually grew to love the place”, the owner says.
Another common convention when moving from a house to an apartment is that you are effectively trading down in terms of living space. But in this case, the compromise was minimal to the point of being non-existent.
Number 32 may be an apartment but at 2,000sq ft, it is equivalent in size to two average three-bed semis. Situated on the second floor of its building, the apartment is accessed through its own private lift lobby. Off this is an entrance hall leading to an open-plan living/dining room, with a vaulted ceiling and a seating area that maximises the views out to the sea. From here there is access to one of the apartment’s four outside spaces, a balcony with views out to Ireland’s Eye and beyond.
The owner says: “You have to be somewhat disciplined in terms of spreading out stuff within the space and even having too much stuff, but even then, we have never felt confined in terms of having enough room here.”
The current occupants handprints are all over the interior layout. It was their idea to replace the internal doors between the main living room and the kitchen with bespoke glass doors to spread light. The kitchen, meanwhile, is the “beating heart” of the house.
The owner says: “A couple of times we have hired in chefs to cook for parties, and they are always shocked by how well-equipped the kitchen is. There is plenty of space to work and we have lots of state of the art equipment.”
As well as the substantial island and dining counter, there is a Smeg five-ring gas hob with griddle plate, two Neff ovens, a Neff microwave, a Smeg coffee machine, a Liebherr wine fridge, a Liebherr fridge and freezer and a Neff dish warmer. There is a mirrored splashback so you don’t have to take your eyes off the sea as you cook. There is also a utility room off the kitchen.
The master bedroom has a dressing room and en suite bathroom, as well as a south-facing balcony. The two other bedrooms also have en suite bathrooms and one also has a south facing balcony.
Outside, located just beside the building entrance, there are two designated car spaces and an EV charging point. The scheme is behind electric gates and among manicured private grounds, with seating areas and direct access to Claremont Beach. There is 24-hour security and a concierge service.
The owner says: “Yes, there is a service charge, but I did some numbers on things that we are going to have to pay for in a house which I don’t have to pay for now, and they really began to add up — you have insurance, a security system, drain clearance, window cleaning and rubbish collection, all these things you things you take for granted when you pay a management charge. So, even though it is a larger management fee here, it’s actually not too bad, all things considered.”
The family are not going far, but moving to a house in Malahide, where their two children have settled and given them grandchildren. “To be honest, we didn’t think we would stay for 20 years. It is a wonderful apartment and a great location for us, and we were very happy to stay even when the children moved on. But then we got the opportunity to purchase a one-off, unique house overlooking the sea, which is about 10 minutes from where the kids are.
“They both live in Malahide. We thought, ‘Look, are we young enough to take on the challenge and move at this stage of our life and give up Howth Lodge, which we love, and take on something that will give us the next period of a life and see more of our grandchildren?’ And we decided, ‘Yes, we are’, so we did.”
They say they are going to miss the proximity of Howth’s pier and its array of seafood eateries such as Octopussy’s and Deep, as well as Mamo on the seafront. Despite not being sailors, the pair also keep a membership of Howth Yacht Club. “It is a great place, and there is really no issue that you don’t have a big boat or anything — a lovely place to just have a glass of wine and watch the sunset.”
32 Howth Lodge has an asking price of €1.55m with Gallagher Quigley.
