Nestled on the fringes of one of the Welsh capital's most expensive and sought after areas is a little estate of apartments and maisonettes at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac that offers a posh postcode without a budget busting price tag as well as bonus tree and roof top views over the city.
Almost any address on one of the residential streets in Cyncoed can command a premium price, especially if it's a big beast of a building near Roath Park Lake or has a large garden with potential to expand or develop into multiple homes.
The current average house price in this prestigious Cardiff suburb for a detached house is £691,583, according to property portal Zoopla, but houses over £1m regularly hit the market and get snapped up. Have a look around one of the area's most distinctive dream homes here.
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So maybe you think that finding a four bed home in this Cardiff suburb for around an asking price of £250,000 is a dream that's not attainable you'd probably be right, but if you bend your wish-list a little you can still find a little gem hiding just along the road from these heavily-priced houses.
The first aspect to be more flexible on is the desire for a house, but that doesn't necessarily mean you only have to consider apartments - a maisonette can be a fantastic half-way house, literally, between a flat and a whole, private house.
This type of home comes in all shapes, sizes and layout connotations, but what a standard maisonette can usually offer you is your own front door and entrance - no sharing a hall with other people's muddy bikes and your post being pinched by other flat owners.
It usually has a duplex layout, meaning its accommodation is laid out over two floors, and so there is a staircase - either a mini one or a full flight - so it feels like you're actually in a house inside even though somewhere within the wider building there will be other people living in other units.
This city maisonette has all of this - and so much more. Outside is the best place to start, with a garage and parking plus the use of communal gardens. But don't be too sad about sharing outside space as this maisonette has a hidden little surprise waiting to delight you later in the property tour.
The ground floor, entered via the dedicated front door shared with no other unit, offers a double bedroom with an ensuite, a cloakroom and a handy storage room.
As there are three further bedrooms, this lower level could be perfect as a guest suite, home office with no need to move too far to use facilities, or the ultimate media and games room.
Up the stairs and the unique features of the home unfold, with the main absorbing place to fully take it all in being the double-height lounge. In here the ceiling soars to the roof and is clad in stripped pine to make sure the space feels and looks warm and welcoming.
This room is a split-level space, zoned by a set of steps down into the dining area, which in turn offers access into the kitchen. And by now you've probably realised this property is a retro home, boasting original mid century interior design still in place in most of the rooms.
Anyone who melts at the sight of the rare existence of the classic decor from the 1960s and 1970s that creates an authentic and original property from the past might want to sit for a moment when they see the fabulous mushroom toned kitchen and preserved peach bathroom, basking in their genuine retro gloriousness.
If a new owner would prefer to update the home into a contemporary abode, don't make the skip the new home for the original decor features - there is an active and keen market for genuine items from this period of interior design so remove carefully what you could sell might be the best option.
There is, of course, a splash of avocado in the second bathroom, the colour that many epitomise as the shade of the 1970s bathroom (or is it more a shade of olive?), plus many of the carpets can claim an age going back decades, proving that a well made carpet can last a long, long time.
Off the central landing the three bedrooms and peachy bathroom can be found, some with a bonus view out over the capital city, and all offering good sized spaces that are versatile. If four bedrooms aren't required the only challenge will be deciding which bedroom should become your home office, games room or even mini cinema.
But before you descend down the stairs with your head swimming full of ideas on how to update this abode into a funky pad fit for 2022 living while keeping the cool retro vibe of the interior design, there is one last door to open and one last bonus to find.
The door next to the fourth bedroom and opposite the main living room entrance opens out onto a cute, private terrace that sits on the roof of the ground floor accommodation directly below.
There's a deck complete with awning for when the sun gets to Mediterranean summer strength that is surely the best place to ponder how to bring your own style to this retro home.
It is also the spot to sit and feel proud that you found a four bedroom property hiding near one of the priciest postcodes that can offer you space and a special place to call home.
The maisonette is for sale for £250,000 with estate agents Allen & Harris, call their Roath branch on 029 2046 4744 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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