A new study has revealed the top ten most searched for and online viewed towns in Wales when considering a moving home. Data was collected by GetAgent using Google keyword planner to collate annual search volumes for 'houses for sale' in for towns and cities across the UK.
This was then combined with the number of properties currently available for sale according to Rightmove, to find the locations that are most in-demand right now and rate them with a percentage 'lusted-after' score.
And Llanelli not only makes it to the top of the Welsh list, it also appears at number eight in the UK list, beating such popular property places such as Abergavenny, Brecon and Aberystwyth.
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The top ten list, that was born out of the combination of data analysed by GetAgent, sees the Carmarthenshire town hit the top spot with an annual search within the current property market context of £177,600 and is surely mainly down to the lower than Welsh national average house price and location, with access to Swansea and Gower peninsular one way and Pembrokeshire in the other direction.
The average house price in and around Llanelli is £154,237, a substantial amount less than the Welsh national average of £245,893 published by Principality Building Society. The town and its surrounding area is even cheaper than the county average, with the company stating that Carmarthenshire has an average house price of £224,914.
Overall, sold prices in Llanelli over the last year were 3% up on the previous year and 13% up on the 2019 peak of £137,066. According to Rightmove, the majority of sales in Llanelli during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £127,696. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £152,572, with detached properties fetching £266,511.
Carmarthen ranked in second spot, with a lusted-after score of 75%. Wrapping up Wales' top three most lusted after locations is Abergavenny, a market town in Monmouthshire that offers itself as the ideal spot to explore the Brecon Beacons from and scored 67% in the company's study.
It's not a surprise to see Abergavenny making it onto the list, despite its above avaerga house price of and it residing in Wales most expensive county, as it regularly appears on lists of Wales' best places to live. Find out more about there here.
See the full top ten list below:
But just because the prices in and around Llanelli are currently below the Welsh national average, it doesn't mean you can't find big and beautiful dream homes, perfect period properties, modern abodes or have a choice of homes to consider in a future move, it just means you are more likely will get more property for your purchasing pounds.
Modern mansion: £950,000
A five-bed contemporary abode that has space inside and wonderful views over the Loughor estuary that will mesmerise you from dawn to dusk watching the waterside wildlife and then as night falls, the dark sky in this area just outside the town is the perfect place to park yourself on the garden patio and stargaze.
Inside, as well as the master bedroom suite that includes access to the huge upper balcony, the main attraction is the vast kitchen, dining, living room that spans the whole width of the house and opens out in multiple places onto the sunny patio.
The house is being sold with no on-going chain, so if you've got the budget, you can get those removal vans booked as soon as possible. And then, after unpacking, the hot tub is calling you, and it would be rude not to answer it.
The house is on the market for offers in the region of £950,000 with Peter Alan, Gorseinon, call them on 01792 894422 to find out more.
Comes with woodland: £695,000
Within some areas of Wales finding a five-bed, detached home with three bathrooms, almost 3.5 acres of land that includes woodland and a paddock for this budget is impossible, but this area can deliver this complete package. Called Garlands, this house is a great example of finding more for less, it can boast a rural location yet is located only a few miles from Llanelli, a position which boasts the best of both worlds from wandering in your own woodland to nipping out to get a pint of milk.
You arrive via a tree-lined driveway, with garage and ample parking as the first practical plus point, then the house can impress with five bedrooms, three reception rooms and a lovely kitchen family room, plus three bathrooms - all of which the agent selling the home says are in great condition.
Garlands is for sale with estate agents The Green Room with a guide price of £695,000, call them on 01792 986099 to find out more.
Victorian splendour: £395,000
You can get a big, Victorian villa on a fancy road in Llanelli for a smaller budget than most found in the cities of Wales, and this one on Queen Victoria Road is a fantastic find.
Sprawling over three storeys, the house is set back from the road thanks to a larger than average front garden, and the house just keeps going and going. The ground floor has a large lounge with bay window, a formal dining room, kitchen diner and utility room and shower room. There's even enough space to allocate the third of the reception spaces into a dedicated music room.
The property is packed with delightful period features too, from the stunning tiles and stained glass in the entrance porch to the marble and cast iron fireplaces, fancy ceilings and intricate cornicing, dado and picture rails. The Victorian staircase is a triumph and leads up to three bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and a further two bedrooms on the top floor.
The palatial period masterpiece is on the market for £395,000 with West Wales Properties, call their Llanelli branch on 01554 759655 to find out more.
Contemporary apartment: £250,000
Situated on the Llanelli coastline, this modern apartment is within walking distance to the beach as well as offering a super stylish interior that means you can just arrive, unpack, and get on with living by the beach with no property work to do except inject your own interior design style.
The Coach House is currently used as a holiday let, meaning this could not only be a beautiful home, but also an ideal investment opportunity should you ever want or need to leave it. The home has a garage on the ground floor, with the two bedrooms and bathroom found on the first floor, where there's also an open-plan kitchen, living and dining room with a bonus Juliet balcony.
There's an extra, surprise addition off the landing - a balcony that can welcome a bistro dining set, before stairs take you down to the home's private, walled garden.
The apartment is nestled within the sought after and now well-established Cefn Padrig residential development and has good road links to both Burry Port on to Carmarthen, and to Llanelli town centre or Swansea. The apartment is on the market for £249,950 with John Francis, call the Llanelli branch on 01554 773051 for more details.
Renovated terrace: £135,000
The town can offer a good variety of homes that cover all price brackets, and a three-bed terrace that has been recently renovated for a lower budget is an ideal first-time buyers or down-sizers house. The agent selling the traditional terrace states it has been renovated to a high and neutral standard throughout, including a white and cream kitchen and glossy grey bathroom suite.
The house comprises a spacious entrance hall, with a pleasant living room to the left-hand side boasting an abundance of natural daylight, the new kitchen at the rear, as well as the bathroom and the newly decked garden to the rear that includes a hand parking area.
There are three bedrooms on the first floor, and with a choice of a colourful paint for the exterior and your own interior design style inside, this terrace is a terrific house to make your own and happily call home. It is for sale for offers in excess of £135,000 with SOLD.CO.UK, call 020 3840 3803 to find out more.
Auction property: £100,000
Conveniently located within walking distance to Llanelli town centre, local amenities, local schools and with good access to Llanelli Beach and Millennium Coastal Path this terrace is going under the hammer and if you can bag it for somewhere close to the guide price, you might have got yourself a bit of a bargain.
Obviously, with any property purchase research into its condition, any legal requirements and added fees, a survey and the average price are all aspects of the sale to act on and this house sale is no different. Viewing it will reveal, on the surface at least, a large house that has been refurbished to be bright and modern.
There's space too as well as new paintwork, flooring, kitchen and bathroom, with the ground floor boasting three reception rooms, and a kitchen and bathroom at the rear. Upstairs there are three bedrooms and a shower room and outside there's a courtyard garden and a garage accessed from a back lane. The online auction property is going under the hammer with a guide price of £100,000 with GOTO Online Auction and being viewed by the local Purplebricks agent, call 020 3889 9181 to find out more.
Renovation project: £77,000
Every town offers a chance at some point to find a rundown house sliding into dereliction to test your DIY skills, and Llanelli has a few to tempt you to get the power tools out - this example is a bit of a gem.
Yes, there are holes in the floorboards and maybe even damp issues but there is so much space inside and a range of period properties that you need to notice while you're being distracted by the growing list of issues that need to be tackled.
The hall ceiling arch and staircase are fabulous once restored to their former glory, the first-floor bay window is an unusual and happy addition, there are dado and picture rails, deep skirtings, paneled doors and cornices waiting to be discovered too.
The decor is a bit of a 'frozen in time' journey that takes in mainly the 1960s and 1970s, but once any structural issues have been dealt with, the fun to fill this three-bed house with your own personal style and bring the abode back to life can begin.
The house is going to online auction with a guide price of £77,000 with Harman Healy, Croydon, with viewings taking place via Dawsons. Call either 020 3869 5632 for the auction house or to book a viewing via Dawson, Llanelli on 01554 784400.
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