There is a particular kind of Dublin property owner we meet again and again. They own a place in a good location — inherited, bought years ago, or a former family home — and they know it could earn well. But it needs work first. A kitchen from another decade. A bathroom that lets the whole property down. Flooring, paint, furniture — sometimes all of it.
And so nothing happens. Not because the numbers don’t work — they usually do — but because getting from "tired property" to "earning property" normally means coordinating three separate parties: a builder for the works, someone with an eye for the interiors, and a letting operator to actually generate the income. Each one blames the other when something slips. The owner becomes an unpaid project manager. Meanwhile the property sits empty — and as we’ve written before, an empty Dublin property has a real monthly cost, whether or not anyone sends you an invoice for it.
One team, three jobs
This is exactly the gap our refurbishment and renovation service exists to close. Through our sister company Nua Spaces, we carry out the refurbishment works ourselves — kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, full renovations where needed. The same team then styles and furnishes the property to the standard corporate guests expect. And because it is EirStay on the other side of the handover, the property goes straight into our managed corporate letting operation the day the works finish.
That last part is the piece most refurbishment projects miss. A builder hands you back a finished property — and then you start looking for tenants. With us, the works are scoped from day one around what the property needs to earn as a corporate let: the layout decisions, the finishes, the furniture, even the lighting are chosen by the people who will be photographing it, listing it and hosting guests in it. There is no gap between the last tradesperson leaving and the first booking, because the letting team has been involved since the first walkthrough.
What "corporate-let standard" actually means
Corporate guests — relocating professionals, embassy staff, project teams on multi-month assignments — are the most valuable segment of the Dublin accommodation market, and the most demanding. They notice the things a long-term rental tenant might tolerate: a dated bathroom, tired flooring, a kitchen that photographs badly. The properties that command the strongest corporate rates are the ones that feel considered from the front door to the back bedroom.
That is the standard every refurbishment we take on is built towards. Durable finishes that survive back-to-back stays. Kitchens equipped for people who actually cook. Workspaces with proper chairs. Beds and sofas chosen for comfort rather than photography alone — though they photograph well too. If you want to see the difference this makes to what a property can earn, our yield calculator shows what corporate letting returns look like against a standard tenancy.
A worked example: Morehampton Road
The clearest way to show how this works is a project we finished recently. A period property on Morehampton Road in Donnybrook — superb location, minutes from the embassy belt, but in need of a full refurbishment across three apartments. Nua Spaces delivered the entire project in two and a half months: new kitchens, renovated bathrooms, restored period features, full styling and furnishing.
The day the works completed, the apartments moved straight into EirStay management. No void period spent finding an agent, no second project to furnish the place, no discovering after the fact that the layout doesn’t suit the market. They are now earning as corporate lets in one of Dublin 4’s strongest locations — and you can see the finished results, along with our other projects, on the portfolio section of our refurbishment page.
How the process runs
For the owner, the process is deliberately simple. It starts with an assessment: we walk the property, tell you honestly what it needs to reach corporate-let standard, and what it doesn’t — not every property needs a full refurbishment, and we will say so when styling alone would do the job. You then get a single scope and quote covering works, design and furnishing. Nua Spaces delivers the project with the EirStay team involved throughout. And at handover, the property goes live with us: photographed, listed, and managed end to end under the same managed corporate letting service we run across our whole portfolio.
One relationship, one point of accountability, one team responsible for both the quality of the finish and the income it generates. If the finish were poor, we would be the ones living with it every changeover — which is the best quality guarantee an owner can ask for.
Is your property a candidate?
The properties that suit this route best share a few traits: a good location — Dublin’s south city neighbourhoods, the embassy belt, anywhere corporate demand runs deep — combined with a condition problem that is holding the property back from earning what the location deserves. Vacant properties, dated properties, properties stuck between "too tired to let well" and "too valuable to sell" — these are exactly the projects we take on.
If that sounds like a property you own, the first step costs nothing: request a property assessment and we will tell you what it would take — and what it could earn. Worst case, you leave the conversation knowing exactly where your property stands.