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Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
Joanne Ridout

The house that's cheaper than a second hand car but there are no floors or windows

For less than the same price as an average second hand family car, which Auto Trader states as costing £17,385, you could bag yourself a property - but it is definitely an extreme renovation project.

No floors, no ceilings, no windows - no problem for an experienced property renovator or developer but surely a bit too much work for an enthusiastic DIYer.

The property is located at the rear of the Family Shopper convenience store on Wind Street, a main road through the Carmarthenshire town of Ammanford, so at least a pint of milk is literally seconds away if you run out while tackling this derelict building.

READ MORE: Homes Under The Hammer damp valleys terrace given amazing transformation by neighbour who then moves in

Wind Street, Ammanford is hiding a building plot behind its shops (Anna Ashton Estate Agents, Ammanford / rightmove / google map)
This unassuming wooden door leads to the derelict building at the rear (Anna Ashton Estate Agents, Ammanford / rightmove / google map)

The only hint that a house is even hiding behind the main road of period properties and commercial unit facades is a small, wooden side door between the shopfronts. Push open that unassuming door and the renovation project that awaits you is a detached, two-storey property that has definitely seen better days.

But now a new owner gets the opportunity to bring a derelict building back into use once the hard work is done and the renovation budget is spent. The building could be suitable for conversion to either commercial use or a residential dwelling, subject to the usual planning and building consents.

If consent is given for a home then right on the doorstep, as well as the recently refurbished Family Shopper store, the main street includes a social club, a launderette, hairdressers and barbers, a number of churches and further into the town centre are a range of food outlets, a butcher, gift and crafts shops, pubs eateries and shops.

One of the standout destinations in the town centre is the historic Victorian Arcade, built on the site of the Cross Inn's stables during 1897-98 and opened in 1899. According to Cadw's website, the arcade was given a Grade II listing in 1994 for being 'a prominent urban building with good detailing of its period'.

According to website Discover Carmarthenshire, Ammanford is one of the county's principal towns, and once the heartland of the mining community in west Wales. A six-metre-high sandstone sculpture by Howard Bowcott called 'Following the Seam' stands proudly in the town centre as a tribute to the area's contribution to the coal industry.

Definitely needs some work, and the adjacent garden next to this derelict building is up for sale too (Anna Ashton Estate Agents, Ammanford / rightmove / google map)

The website goes on to recommend the town as a good base from which to explore the beautiful Amman Valley, including the six-mile route for walkers and cyclists between Ammanford and Upper Brynamman follows the River Amma through woodland, quiet lanes and parkland.

Back to the building that needs attention and your direct neighbour is a flooring specialist which could be handy while bringing the building back to life. Inside the outside shell of the property there's an indication of where the upper floor used to be, and the stairs to access it, but apart from the roof, which needs attention, the upper ceiling and four walls, there's not much more to see.

Maybe someone with imagination, patience and budget and a successful planning application can visualise how this building could become a cute, two-bedroom mews house - with open-plan living and a shower room on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor as a possibility.

No floor, no stairs, no windows - but full of potential if you can get planning consent (Anna Ashton Estate Agents, Ammanford / rightmove / google map)

Or if only one bedroom is required, a mezzanine level could look amazing, with the living area on the ground floor a double-height space, and the kitchen and bathrooms tucked under the mezzanine bedroom level on the first floor.

Whatever becomes of the building, according to the estate agent, it is being sold as a leasehold property with a 999-year lease that started on January 1, 2021, with the annual ground rent of £1,000 being payable on the first day of January.

Potentially a one or two bedroom home or used as a commercial building, subject to planning consent (Anna Ashton Estate Agents, Ammanford / rightmove / google map)

The building is being sold by Anna Ashton Estate Agents, Ammanford who state that they are also selling the garden adjoining the property for another seller and this might be of interest to a potential buyer of this derelict building.

For further details about this property and the additional land contact Anna Ashton Estate Agents, Ammanford on 01269 839392.

And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales as well as auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors – join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter which is sent to your inbox twice a week. Also join the Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group for all the best property content posted by us and by you.

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