This 93sq m (1,000sq ft) twobed is likely to attract huge interest when it goes to auction on 1 March because these period cottages in Dun Laoghaire rarely come up for sale . . . especially when they are so close to the sea and finished with such a sure touch.

The refurbishments are particularly appealing because none of the cosy traditional features have been sacrificed to the need to update the house to modern standards.

"We sold the house next door last year and there was huge interest even though it needed some updating, " says Robert Lawson of Lisney who have set an AMV of 800,000.

"This house is totally charming and is ready to move into and has been refurbished with a great deal of taste and style so we expect good demand."

The cottage is one of only three in a small terrace built in the 1830s along the seafront opposite the harbour and marina.

"It's a lovely place to live, " says the owner who, with her husband, is looking for something within the area.

"It is so quiet in the garden at the back which gets the sun all day. There are beautiful walks just outside your front door and of course, the town and the shops are around the corner."

The house has been refurbished, including a new kitchen, new hardwood floors, repainting and a new bathroom.

"I particularly wanted to make the most of the light shining in, " says the owner. That meant painting the rooms in soft creams, installing glazed panelled doors between the kitchen and sittingroom, and generally making the house more receptive to the sunshine. A beautiful cream painted kitchen adds to the brightness of the cottage.

The house is all on one level and the wooden-floored hall opens into the livingroom on the right and the master bedroom to the left.

The livingroom is a large, bright room with marble fireplace and double glazed doors leading into the beautiful terracotta tiled kitchen/dining /family room which opens onto the back of the house.