A property that comes with a bonus building in the garden has always been a popular potential purchase with a certain, creative buyer who has the vision to see what the former coach house, barn, stable, pigsty or brick shed could become.
But with estate agents reporting that a growing number of people during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond looking for a new home that comes with extra space, or the opportunity to create it, it seems the estate agent phrase 'bonus outbuilding with potential' has become an important and exciting one.
Very few, if any, current houses on the market that have potential to renovate or convert a building in the garden can say it's a windmill. And it gets better, because Penfor cottage can also throw in the on-site granary into the bundle of buildings too.
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But most residents of the beautiful Isle of Anglesey won't be too surprised that this three-bedroom cottage by the sea can tempt you to view with its windmill next door, as the island is home to many windmills dotted around the landscape and in varying states of repair.
There are the redundant and derelict windmills, standing silently and alone on the windiest spots in the countryside, and there are the ones that have been lavished with a comprehensive renovation project to create a unique dream home.
Melin Drylliau is a windmill that is currently the former but is desperate to become the latter, and has moved one step closer towards dream home status as it is being sold with planning in place to convert it into a holiday let home with an observation room at the top and a contemporary extension to the side.
More good news is that the granary also on the site, and in the past the service wing of the working mill, can now also look forward to its own identity as a home, renovated and packed with character, as it comes with planning consent too.
Melin Drylliau is a former industrial building that is part of a collection of surviving windmills that can be found dotted around the island that mark out an important era of the area's history. There was an upsurge in windmill construction on the Welsh island during the 1740s, in some part due to the winds known to regularly sweep across the region.
But by the early 20th century only a handful of working windmills remained due to the increase in popularity of steam powered milling in the region on an industrial scale, combined with imports of foreign grain.
Author Warren Kovach, whose website Anglesey History documents the story of many of Anglesey's historic buildings, says: "By this time only a handful of mills were still limping along, many powered by more reliable diesel engines rather than wind. The last working mill, Melin y Gof, closed in 1936.
"Out of the 32 windmills on Anglesey of which some of the structure still remains, 14 have been converted into dwellings or incorporated into a larger house. Nine of these have been converted or renovated since the year 2000, showing the great increase of interest in restoring historic buildings."
And Melin Drylliau could be the next one. And don't worry too much about where you're going to stay during the renovation - no rusty, old caravan onsite here as the main property for sale is a pretty three-bed cottage currently used as a holiday let and perfect as your base.
The pretty white-washed cottage has a large, central lounge that allows light and uninterrupted sea views to flood in via a bay window. To the left is a kitchen diner with a triple aspect of the garden, grounds and coast, and to the right is a snug or third bedroom, depending on the needs of the new owner.
Next to the kitchen is a bathroom and a utility room, with the two further bedrooms - one found at the far end of the single-storey house and one sandwiched between the lounge and bathroom.
The cottage has two front doors and two halls strongly suggesting it was once two cottages, and could be again with an extra kitchen and bathroom installed and few walls moved around, subject to planning consent, of course.
The options are numerous here, depending on planning consent and what the new owner envisages - three holiday lets, a home and lets or three family properties for a mass relocation?
The planning application for the new lease of life for the mill and granary was submitted to Isle of Anglesey county council in 2019 and granted in 2020 for 'conversion of outbuildings into two holiday units which includes alterations and extensions together with the installation of a package treatment plant'.
And Melin Drylliau and Penfor cottage have an incredible location to add to the list of selling points, on an elevated coastal bluff overlooking Church Bay on the west coast of the island, so sea views are a constant and welcome companion and breath-taking walks and days on the sandy shore are just a stroll away.
Such was the handy location of Melin Drylliau that it was used as a local landmark by sailors out to sea, and is said to be marked on sea charts dating back to 1840 and 1881.
It was owned and run by John Williams, who founded a dynasty of millers, with seven sons who all went on to become millers or corn and flour merchants
You might not be continuing the Williams dynasty of millers or the milling tradition, but by renovating Melin Drylliau you will be preserving it for future generations and also enjoying every minute living in such a special structure by the sea.
Penfor cottage and Melin Drylliau windmill and granary are on the market with a guide price of £725,000 with purplebricks, call them on 0800 810 8008 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter , sent to your inbox twice a week.
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