If you're renovating a property from dated to desirable to make a profit because that is your job, most people would advise you to stay neutral, with waves of magnolia or shades of grey the most popular options to appeal to the most buyers as possible.
Maybe that's why when developer Alex Godding decided to hunt down a deep and vibrant blue for the facade of his new property purchase, people were shocked and thought it was a bad idea, but he had fallen in love with an instantly recognisable coastal house and wanted to bring that vibe to this Swansea terrace.
Alex says: "I drive through Aberaeron quite regularly and there is a dark blue house on the main road called Awelon. I took a picture of the house one day and decided that was the colour I wanted for Ceri Road. When I told people I was going to paint the house dark blue everyone grimaced and thought I was nuts."
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But Alex's terrace house in the Townhill area of Swansea is not the first house that Awelon and the deep blue houses of Aberaeron have influenced. The homeowners on Elm Street, Cardiff, do not shy away from colour, and pattern, and there's a house on this street that also pays homage to Awelon and its counterparts in Aberaeron.
Sam Hughes and Lauren Sourbutts were previously aware of the vibrant nature of Elm Street when they were looking for a home in the capital, and at the time they purchased their abode on this colourful road it was an interesting shade of mint green - but not for long.
Lauran says: "Once you’ve lived on Elm Street you think to yourself ‘why don’t more people paint their houses'? The street is a great enabler. When we were thinking about colours nothing was off-limits – we could literally choose any colour and it would fit in.”
The choice for the couple was pretty simple. Inspired by the same well-known dark blue Georgian houses on the seafront in Aberaeron that also captured Alex's colour imagination, they brought a deep blue with salmon pink front door to Elm Street to add to the road's vibrant streetscene. Find out how Elm Street became one of the most colourful streets in Cardiff and what it's like to live there here.
Although Alex has kept his Swansea house neutral inside, he is very pleased with the blue beacon on the street. He says: "It stands out for miles around as it's on top of a hill and can even be seen from the A483 in Cwmdu in Swansea. It makes me smile every time I go to the DIY store and I look up the hill and my house stands out as this bold blue building in a sea of otherwise grey property."
Alex is ten years into his property development career and this one was the biggest test yet, updating a dated home into a modern three-bed property to appeal to first-time buyers and families. He says: "I purchased my first property when I was 19 and have been renovating properties all over the place, from as far north as Llandudno and as far south as Carmarthen. During my career I have renovated around 12 properties and took part in the channel 5 documentary 'Climbing the Property Ladder' in 2016."
This terrace house with amazing views from the front across Swansea to the sea on the horizon caught his eye as providing potential to make some significant changes for the biggest impact and, ultimately, the biggest profit. Alex says: "The property was a repossession when I purchased it and it had been neglected for many years. It had been the home to the previous owner for 15 years.
"It has been the biggest renovation project I have completed to date, as I have mostly renovated flats or small terraces in the past. The renovation involved removing a structural wall in the lounge to convert the two ground floor reception rooms into one large lounge. Previously the second reception room had no window and was dark and depressing. This involved building regulations approval for which I had to liaise with Swansea Council and have the appropriately sized RSJ installed.
"I live an hour away from the property so the travelling has been an unexpected challenge with the cost of fuel sky rocketing. I am quite used to travelling to and from my renovation projects but the sudden increase in fuel has been noticeable, especially considering on average I travel around 3,000 miles for each property renovation."
Alex has created a large, single reception room at the front of the property, where there's ample space for a lounge area and a dining zone. But when you get to the sizeable kitchen at the rear it too can easily accommodate a table and chairs in the centre, so where a new owner decides to eat breakfast is totally up them between these two welcoming spaces.
The kitchen is a blank canvas for the new owner to add their personal touches, as well as a table if required, including open wood shelves to add even more character. The sliding patio doors open onto a private, sunken patio that has steps leading up to the main section of lawned garden.
The bathroom is on the ground floor and has had a complete transformation into a stylish black, white and grey modern space where soaking in the bath is going to be a relaxing experience. Upstairs the three bedrooms have new carpets and décor and it's pleasing to see period panelled internal doors still in place adding a touch of past character.
Alex has kept the interior design neutral but the choice of wood effect floor, accents of black and splashes of pattern have added visual interest and left the new owner nothing to do except bring their own personal décor taste in through the front door. The blue facade makes a big impact outside but inside the house Alex has created a more neutral colour palette, although he hasn't been able to totally control himself.
He's splashed the colour again in the main bedroom with a wall of warm sunshine yellow - blue and yellow is surely a homage to the home's seaside view and location, just a few miles from the coast, as well as the influence of the beautiful blue Aberaeron property.
Alex is selling his blue abode for £129,995 with Clee Tompkinson & Francis, call their Swansea branch on 01792 475332 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 which is sent to your inbox twice a week.
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