Planning to move to Wales

[theitalianalien]

There are many options to consider if you might move to Wales. I lived in Cardiff for a few years. Cardiff is great, lots to do, nice parks etc and because of the Uni, quite a lot of younger people / students. But Cardiff isn't cheap and houses are a lot more expensive than in some surrounding towns.

I lived in Cardiff and worked in the valleys. You could do the opposite if you wanted, houses in the valleys are much lower cost than in Cardiff, but there are also fewer amenities. Lots to consider.

Thanks for the input. My budget is tight, so I am considering what's on the market. I am a nature lover, of course I would love to be by the sea in Aberdyfi for instance, but I can't afford it. Thanks for your reply

 

[theitalianalien]

You need a much better plan than this.

Do you need to work? Have you got kids who need to go to school, or to college, or to be able to find work?

Do you have a budget? Do you have preferences about whether you want to live in a very rural area or to be in/near a city?

Can you/your partner drive?

Have you ever been to Wales?

(Builth is much nicer than Llandridnodd by the way....)

Thanks for your reply. My budget is very tight (60K) so I am just considering carefully what's on the market. I am a nature lover, sea lover and I love to explore, long walks and running.
I have no wife, no children and I work from home.
I do drive.
I have never been to Wales, I am just using google at the moment and when I find a buyer for my flat I will arrange a 4 days trip to view the properties.

 

[kebabking]

Thanks for your reply. My budget is very tight (60K) so I am just considering carefully what's on the market. I am a nature lover, sea lover and I love to explore, long walks and running.
I have no wife, no children and I work from home.
I do drive.
I have never been to Wales, I am just using google at the moment and when I find a buyer for my flat I will arrange a 4 days trip to view the properties.

Llandridnodd would be a nice place to live, it's pretty and the surrounding countryside is lovely - it's got shops, supermarkets etc... but, and it's a big but, it's a long way from anywhere with a proper hospital, or anywhere with lots of work, and there is very little public transport. You've either got a car, or you stay there.

If you don't drive, or don't have a car, and can't just live in a small town without the need to work elsewhere, then I would suggest looking at the more built up areas in South Wales - Merthyr and the other valleys towns are within your budget, and public transport exists there.

 

[kalidarkone]

Thanks for your reply. My budget is very tight (60K) so I am just considering carefully what's on the market. I am a nature lover, sea lover and I love to explore, long walks and running.
I have no wife, no children and I work from home.
I do drive.
I have never been to Wales, I am just using google at the moment and when I find a buyer for my flat I will arrange a 4 days trip to view the properties.

Just go for a camping holiday- I've just been- its amazing! I'm going back in 3 weeks!

 

[existentialist]

Thanks for your reply. My budget is very tight (60K) so I am just considering carefully what's on the market. I am a nature lover, sea lover and I love to explore, long walks and running.
I have no wife, no children and I work from home.
I do drive.
I have never been to Wales, I am just using google at the moment and when I find a buyer for my flat I will arrange a 4 days trip to view the properties.

I know that Welsh property is cheap compared to other parts of the country, but £60k isn't a lot, even here. There will be rural (probably VERY rural) fixer-uppers for that kind of money, and quite possibly ex-council places in some of the more blighted parts of the country, but you won't get a lot for your money. It might be worth looking at places in the Valleys, particularly as there are moves afoot to massively improve rail infrastructure in some of them, which could mean you were buying in at the bottom of a potentially improving market.

A lot is going to depend on things like work - obviously, places with lots of employment tend also to be more expensive, and conversely, cheap places will also tend to be places without much in the way of employment opportunities. Something else you will need to pay careful attention to, especially if what you do requires good Internet connectivity, is the availability of decent broadband at an affordable price - outside the cities, broadband coverage can still be quite patchy, with either no, or only very slow, connections available. That should improve over time, but this may not be soon enough for you.

 

[theitalianalien]

Llandridnodd would be a nice place to live, it's pretty and the surrounding countryside is lovely - it's got shops, supermarkets etc... but, and it's a big but, it's a long way from anywhere with a proper hospital, or anywhere with lots of work, and there is very little public transport. You've either got a car, or you stay there.

If you don't drive, or don't have a car, and can't just live in a small town without the need to work elsewhere, then I would suggest looking at the more built up areas in South Wales - Merthyr and the other valleys towns are within your budget, and public transport exists there.

Yes I have noticed just looking at the map that despite the fact that Llandrindod's pictures are really enchanting, there's an issue with connections and you highlighted the hospital issue, which I didnt consider, so it's very important to know. thanks to emphasize that too.

I am studying the South of Wales, another option is Pembroke, have you been there?

 

[theitalianalien]

I know that Welsh property is cheap compared to other parts of the country, but £60k isn't a lot, even here. There will be rural (probably VERY rural) fixer-uppers for that kind of money, and quite possibly ex-council places in some of the more blighted parts of the country, but you won't get a lot for your money. It might be worth looking at places in the Valleys, particularly as there are moves afoot to massively improve rail infrastructure in some of them, which could mean you were buying in at the bottom of a potentially improving market.

A lot is going to depend on things like work - obviously, places with lots of employment tend also to be more expensive, and conversely, cheap places will also tend to be places without much in the way of employment opportunities. Something else you will need to pay careful attention to, especially if what you do requires good Internet connectivity, is the availability of decent broadband at an affordable price - outside the cities, broadband coverage can still be quite patchy, with either no, or only very slow, connections available. That should improve over time, but this may not be soon enough for you.

Thanks for your input.

 

[two sheds]

If I weren't where I am now I'd seriously consider a narrowboat. Pootling from village pub to village pub would appeal to the Toad in me "toot toot".

Wales

From the picturesque scenery of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal to the awe-inspiring Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal, the canals and rivers of Wales take visitors on an unforgettable journey.

canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

[existentialist]

Yes I have noticed just looking at the map that despite the fact that Llandrindod's pictures are really enchanting, there's an issue with connections and you highlighted the hospital issue, which I didnt consider, so it's very important to know. thanks to emphasize that too.

I am studying the South of Wales, another option is Pembroke, have you been there?

I lived in Pembroke for 15 years. It's a nice corner of the world, but employment opportunities are limited, and travel is a bastard - the railway line to Pembroke goes via Narnia, and takes 3½ hours just to get to Cardiff; not bad roads, certainly east/west, though...but Swansea's still a good hour and a half unless you drive like me, and Cardiff about 2-2½.

I think you'll be lucky to find anything for £60k in Pembroke or Pembrokeshire. I've had a Rightmove property search - out of curiosity more than anything - on properties in Pembrokeshire <£90k, and there are only very few which come through even at that price (assuming you don't want to buy a mobile holiday home on a park somewhere - and, trust me, you don't). Bits of Milford Haven are cheap, and Pembroke Dock is generally cheaper than Pembroke. But Pembrokeshire is popular with the "God's waiting room" crowd, and holiday home types, which push the prices up.

 

[theitalianalien]

I lived in Pembroke for 15 years. It's a nice corner of the world, but employment opportunities are limited, and travel is a bastard - the railway line to Pembroke goes via Narnia, and takes 3½ hours just to get to Cardiff; not bad roads, certainly east/west, though...but Swansea's still a good hour and a half unless you drive like me, and Cardiff about 2-2½.

I think you'll be lucky to find anything for £60k in Pembroke or Pembrokeshire. I've had a Rightmove property search - out of curiosity more than anything - on properties in Pembrokeshire <£90k, and there are only very few which come through even at that price (assuming you don't want to buy a mobile holiday home on a park somewhere - and, trust me, you don't). Bits of Milford Haven are cheap, and Pembroke Dock is generally cheaper than Pembroke. But Pembrokeshire is popular with the "God's waiting room" crowd, and holiday home types, which push the prices up.

Yes there are some 1 bed flats/studio flats within my price range in Pembroke dock, that's another option to consider.

 

[existentialist]

Yes there are some 1 bed flats/studio flats within my price range in Pembroke dock, that's another option to consider.

Tread very carefully. I know there are some very cheap studio type flats in Pembroke Dock, because I looked at renting one, until local knowledge pointed out that these are largely places where the inhabitants' lifestyle involves a lot of late night transactions, regular visits from the police to disturbances, and the kind of neighbours you try to avoid letting see your face, in case they recognise you later. In case it's the same place, this was in an old school that had been converted into tiny flats.

The bottom line here is: property in Wales is cheap for a variety of reasons, but REALLY cheap property in Wales is usually the price it is for a very good reason - nobody in their right mind would want to live there.

 

[theitalianalien]

Tread very carefully. I know there are some very cheap studio type flats in Pembroke Dock, because I looked at renting one, until local knowledge pointed out that these are largely places where the inhabitants' lifestyle involves a lot of late night transactions, regular visits from the police to disturbances, and the kind of neighbours you try to avoid letting see your face, in case they recognise you later. In case it's the same place, this was in an old school that had been converted into tiny flats.

The bottom line here is: property in Wales is cheap for a variety of reasons, but REALLY cheap property in Wales is usually the price it is for a very good reason - nobody in their right mind would want to live there.

Fair play. It's like the flat I bought here, lovely area, nice nightlife, but the flat itself has short lease and the roof leaking......low prices have many reasons, but it's always better to buy something that can be fixed with a matter of money, instead a rough area is impossible to "fix". Thanks for taking the time to search rightmove and for the very important input

 

[Bollox]

I Live in South Wales, Abergavenny at the moment and one piece of advice I'll give is don't be fooled by the myth of the Welsh countryside.....the majority of South Wales' so called countryside is nothing but farmers fields all monocultures of crops or grazing, there is actually greater bio-diversity on the outskirts and parkland around big cities
Even in the National park here (Breacon Beacons) you will soon notice forests are few and far between and actual native woodland almost absent, the Farmers won't let anything grow that isnt food for sheep or cows any unproductive plant or animal is either poisoned, shot or burned the whole area is in reality heavily exploited and pretty bleak

P.S.Don't get me wrong there are some lovely places in South Wales, but your budget won't stretch to them I'm afraid

 

[hash tag]

Seeing you user name what about somewhere near Portmeirion?

 

[theitalianalien]

Seeing you user name what about somewhere near Portmeirion?

I study the area on google and if there are properties for my budget I will arrange a 4 days trip, thanks

 

[theitalianalien]

Any of you know if Llanelli is a nice place to live? Thanks

 

[kebabking]

Any of you know if Llanelli is a nice place to live? Thanks

Yes, it is. Like anywhere it's got less nice bits, and really nice bits, but overall it's a nice place to live.

 

[theitalianalien]

Yes, it is. Like anywhere it's got less nice bits, and really nice bits, but overall it's a nice place to live.

Fair play......I see it's literally on the beach, great for running or relaxing long walks

 

[8ball]

Fair play......I see it's literally on the beach, great for running or relaxing long walks

Good idea to be good at running if moving there tbf.

 

[ddraig]

Yes, it is. Like anywhere it's got less nice bits, and really nice bits, but overall it's a nice place to live.

is it bollocks!

 

[theitalianalien]

Good idea to be good at running if moving there tbf.

Thanks for your warning I will arrange a trip around Wales first.....at the moment Llandrindod Wells seems the nicest town for my budget

 

[8ball]

Thanks for your warning I will arrange a trip around Wales first.....at the moment Llandrindod Wells seems the nicest town for my budget

I had relatives live there when I was a kid, so went there a bit - you might want some more up to date knowledge, really.

 

[theitalianalien]

I had relatives live there when I was a kid, so went there a bit - you might want some more up to date knowledge, really.

Yes that would be more appropriate....

 

[theitalianalien]

Hello again.....any of you know Cwmamman Road, Garnant......direction Gwaun Cae Gurwen? Is it a nice area to live? Thanks in advance

 

[ginger_syn]

Out of idle curiosity what did your workmates say about Merthyr

 

[davesgcr]

Hello again.....any of you know Cwmamman Road, Garnant......direction Gwaun Cae Gurwen? Is it a nice area to live? Thanks in advance

Amman Valley ? - OK in many respects , right on the edge of the Black Mountain , the town of Ammanford about 4 miles away - "reasonable" public transport. ( was brought up not far away so) , overall quite a friendly bunch around there. Worth a look certainly. It is on a main road though.

 

[Supine]

Why don't you just go and see for yourself?

 

[Chilli.s]

Wales is a bit marmite, some love it, some hate it. I would recommend an extensive visit before committing to move there.

 

[1927]

Corrected for you no need for thanks

Its definitely still there. Largest in Europe or something i believe.

 

[1927]

Yes there are some 1 bed flats/studio flats within my price range in Pembroke dock, that's another option to consider.

This is now clearly a wind up. You are avoiding Merthyr, Mountain Ash etc, but seriously considering pembroke Dock, a place so behind the times they could film a Victorian period drama in the streets there without any need for the crew to change a thing to blot out the 20th and 21st centuries!