Moving to Cardiff (area) - ideas and suggestions

[Tyre Tread]

Finalising plans tonight for a cross border raid over the weekend to come house hunting.

Bloody estate agents are a pain!

Doesn't help that there's a major Rugby match on.

I thought Cardiff Airport was the old St Athan but just learned you have 2 runways very close to each other. Fancy that!

[hornetrider]

We went to view a house in Colwinston one Saturday in the 6N when the rugby was on. The village was like a twilight zone ghost town, it was quite eerie! Not a soul did we see for the whole time we were there.

[Trev450]

Tyre Tread said:

I thought Cardiff Airport was the old St Athan but just learned you have 2 runways very close to each other. Fancy that!

St Athan is virtually unused now apart from small single-engined trainers.

Good luck with the search.

[RyanTank]

TT, St Athan is an air force base but is hardly active these days, I think its currently used as a storage/repair facility.

I have heard they often get some pretty tasty stuff stop over from time to time if there's exercises being carried out around the area. but other than that its just small jet style stuff.


Good luck on the hunt this weekend, and don't let the larger louts put you off! the womenfolk seem to get especially weird around international day! I've been in Wales all my life and never realised that a pink fluffy/glittery cowboyhat was national attire on a rugby day

[Vincecj]

Tyre Tread said:

Finalising plans tonight for a cross border raid over the weekend to come house hunting.

Bloody estate agents are a pain!

Doesn't help that there's a major Rugby match on.

I thought Cardiff Airport was the old St Athan but just learned you have 2 runways very close to each other. Fancy that!

Have you considered Pen-y-fai, just outside Bridgend?
Cae Cael, Heol Eglwys, Pen-Y-Fai, Bridgend, CF31 4LY.

[Rickyy]

Have you considered Llantwit Major? It has a beach, an hourly train to Cardiff and was apparently voted second most desirable place in Wales to live.

House prices are higher than surrounding areas, but you will still get a nice house for your budget.

[Tyre Tread]

We stayed in a B&B in Broughton Near Wick. Lovely place and fantastic host who has a Cobra in his garage. A real petrolhead.

We managed about a dozen viewings and both Mrs TT and I liked a house. Unfortunatley it wasn't the same one.

I like this: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

SWMBO liked this: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

I vetoed hers as its in very poor state and would cost an absolute fortune to put straight plus its location is - sorry to be a snob but...

We really like the Vale but the property prices are definitely higher than we expected.

I think we are in the process of a paradigm shift in terms of what we are prepared to pay to get what we want where we want rather than a compromise. (Great in theory but do I fancy having a mortgage again or should I see it as an investment - rhetorical question).

I really don't need a 4 or 5 bed property - but to get a decent house in a nice spot it appears that's all that one can find.

We ruled out certain things and certain places which is good.

We also realised that Caerphilly and area is easily commutable which we hadn't really realised.

I'll take a look at the areas suggested. Thanks for those.

We had a chat to our hosts and local pub all of whom suggested Llantwit Major but suggested we be careful of "certain areas".

The house belonging the people who made the offer on our house is up for sale with the same agents as us so we should be able to get a reasonable picture of what is going on.

This house hunting is expensive though - 2 nights B&B, fuel, food and kennels for the pooch came in at almost £400 - Gulp! Admittedly we didn't scrimp on the accom or food as we treated it as a "nice weekend away" but nevertheless, a few of those will eat into the budget a bit.

Another observation: We continue to be amazed at the creativity of the Estate Agents' photographs. How they make some of these properties look so good remains a mystery.

The hunt continues

[hornetrider]

Tyre Tread said:

The hunt continues

View any of these?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Budget heads north and...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope... (50k overpriced).

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

[hornetrider]

New locations...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope... - no gge but certainly room for one.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Walk to work?? I spy a tandem garage with potential...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Four car garage you say??

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

[Tyre Tread]

Once again many thanks to all of you especially hornetrider for your time and trouble and local knowldge.

I WILL buy you all a beer! Maybe at the house warming.

hornetrider said:

View any of these?

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Tried but the Estate Agents couldn't fit us in

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Not seen that one before - not sure how I missed it.

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Nor that one

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Only single garage and no room to build another/enlarge it.

hornetrider said:

Budget heads north and...

Yep it looks like it will...

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Small garage and although it looks like it could be extended it would need to be added to the price.

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope... (50k overpriced).

Definitely overpriced and "Meh" in terms of character.

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

That's better - Some character and a lovely location

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

Same road as one above - no garage on this one it has been converted to a study but they have kept the appearance of having a single garage by building a shallow "store" behind the garage door.

hornetrider said:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

We drove past that one on Sat afternoon when we went to see another in Colwinston.

Lovely village but desserted - until w popped into the pub for a drink - packed due to Rugby.

We actually went to look at this: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...
with a view to building a larger garage as it has a large garden with access but on close inspection it has many level changes which could make it challenging.

It is small and needs modernising but there are many attractive things about it.

Anyone know a good local builder who could give me some quotes?

Edited by Tyre Tread on Monday 1st December 11:52

[Rickyy]

Broughton is lovely, my ex's parents live there, so spent a lot of time there when I was younger. Did you go to the Plough and Harrrow?

I've just bought a house in one the roughest part of Llantwit, albeit on the outskirts.I've worked all over South Wales and Llantwit is nothing compared to certain areas! You get the odd scuffle on the weekend between squaddies and locals, but nothing too serious.

With your budget, you'll be looking at properties closer to the beach, which is a lovely area.

Llanmaes is the next village across, very nice, place with a lovely pub (The Blacksmiths Arms), I think it won "Best kept village of the year" award a few times too.

Plenty of nice villages between Cowbridge and Pontyclun too.

[Tyre Tread]

Rickyy said:

Broughton is lovely, my ex's parents live there, so spent a lot of time there when I was younger. Did you go to the Plough and Harrrow?

For dinner both evenings.

It seems local developers ave definitely benn buying up places, blinging them up an are pushing up prices.

Ah well, onward with the eyestrain from constant internet searching.

[Rickyy]

Tyre Tread said:

Rickyy said:

Broughton is lovely, my ex's parents live there, so spent a lot of time there when I was younger. Did you go to the Plough and Harrrow?

For dinner both evenings.

It seems local developers ave definitely benn buying up places, blinging them up an are pushing up prices.

Ah well, onward with the eyestrain from constant internet searching.

Good luck with the search! I'm in the construction trade, so feel free to PM me if you need any recommendations for trades.

[nickrex]

I've just scanned through this thread so forgive me if this has been covered.

Pontyclun/Llantrisant is a good compromise of semi rural with excellent connections to Cardiff, by car, train and bus. The nicest locations within this general area are Miskin, Forest Hills, Tyla Garw (great local pub The Boars Head!:-)), Groesfaen, Cross Inn, Talygarn, Brynsadler. £350k will go pretty far in all bar Talygarn.

Definitely worth looking at Pentyrch, Creigiau, Efail Isaf but no near rail stations, you'd be looking at Taffs Well or Pontyclun as nearest.

The Vale if Glamorgan is in the main very nice, but not everywhere.

Good luck!

[DHE]

Have you considered Laleston, just outside of Bridgend?

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

[covmutley]

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

How about this is considering a project. Nice village with a good pub and easy access into cardiff. Garage at rear and plenty of space to make it a double

[Tyre Tread]

Thanks again all.

Love the barn conversions and a couple of the properties in Hornetriders second tranche I already have on my list but damn you for finding the four car garage ...... in Cardiff. I can't live in suburbia I hate it!

[Tyre Tread]

The sleepless nights have started as the realisation dawns that SWMBO starts working in Cardiff in just 8 weeks.

Will we sell our house in time? Will get a new place in time? (I'm pretty sure that one is a "no"!) If we sell and can't find what we want will we be able to rent with a dog? Where will I store the 2 cars? Will I get a job? Do we buy waht we can easily afford or stretch ourselves for the place we really like?

Not been a stresshead for a few years but I am relearning the old ways.

Ah well, it will all play out the way it will I suppose. Que sera,sera!

[SOULCREW]

heres some wenvoe ones.. takes me 10 mins to get to the heath..10 mins to town and 5 mins to costco

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/prope...

[Tyre Tread]

Thanks Soulcrew. The first is a semi detached with no garage so a nono.

The second looks OK if a bit clinical but I don't like the "Offers in excess of ..." bit as it looks like they expect more than that and it would stretch the budget.