If an uninterrupted sea view straight from your window is on your property wish list it may be something of a disappointment to learn that the price tag to achieve that dream keeps rising.
A sea view is one of the most sought after features of a new home for so many people, especially if it is not blocked in any way by neighbours' rooftops or other buildings - but the better the quality of the sea view, usually the higher the price.
Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit homes with a sea view were considered to be prime real estate with an asking price to match, but in December 2020, property portal Rightmove reported their research for the year when the pandemic hit concluded a sea view could add up to as much as 31% to a house price across the UK and 27% in Wales.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove's property data expert, says: "We know from our Happy at Home report that, across Great Britain, people who live in coastal areas are most content with where they live. Whether it be weekend walks along the beach or catching a glimpse through the window of the shimmering water in the distance, people value that connection with the sea and enjoy life in the areas around it.
"We've seen demand for coastal homes increase and so it stands to reason that homes with a sea view command a substantial price premium."
Since the pandemic hit, Wales as a nation has also been consistently at the top of the Office of National Statistics (ONS) data that researches and reveals the highest average house price increases on a monthly basis for the UK, the separate nations and the counties within those nations.
With so many more people looking to chase their ultimate property dream of an escape to the country or a coastal abode by the sea, it's not a surprise to see many of Wales' coastal counties continually in the top areas within Wales to see the highest increases, including Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Gwynedd and Ceredigion - read more about that here.
Maybe to secure a sea view on a budget you will have to size down your ambitions on space to an apartment or be content with a partial sea view. Or maybe you will have to avoid the most obvious sea view hotspots and find an up-and-coming area to rummage around for your dream coastal pad.
According to The Sunday Times, Barmouth in Gwynedd is one of four such 'areas to watch' regarding property in Wales, the others being Tywyn in Gwynedd, Ferryside in Carmarthenshire and Splott in Cardiff. Read more about the four locations that may be set to be the next UK property hot spots here.
So a nose around the properties for sale in and around Barmouth might be worth the time, but if you want a detached house you'd better hurry. The majority of sales in Barmouth during the last year were flats, selling for an average price of £123,806 and there were only seven detached properties sold in the last year, with an average of £523,657.
Overall, sold prices in Barmouth over the last year were 28% up on the previous year and 41% up on the 2019 peak of £199,860 so maybe this up-and-coming area has already arrived?
Barmouth: £600,000
To get the best panoramic sea view that is so remarkable it surely mesmerises anyone lucky enough to experience it may mean looking for a home that is elevated above the throng of homes crowding around the seashore. And for some hillside abodes, the climb is worth it.
The Rock is a prime spot above the increasingly popular coastal town of Barmouth. It's not a famous Hollywood actor but a famous mountain side that rises from the rear of the town and is part of what is known locally as 'old town'. And perched on The Rock are some historic homes that ooze enough character for the hillside to be part of a conservation area.
It can be rare to find a detached home for sale on this elevated land, and even more unlikely to find one that comes with two undeveloped parcels of land too. This charming stone, detached three bed house has all of this plus a detached outbuilding.
Adjacent to the house, across a public footpath, there is a large piece of land again with fantastic views and outline planning permission for the construction of a detached garden room. Just below there is an additional plot of land and a stone outbuilding which is included in the sale and for which various options may be explored with the local planning department.
According to the estate agent there's also outline planning permission for the extension and development of the house, outline planning permission for erection of a detached garden room plus an existing workshop and shed in the garden.
Inside, this characterful cottage for sale has much to admire too including exposed stone chimney breasts, slate floors, stripped wood flooring, exposed stone walls and pretty and classic cottage interior design. Find out all about cottagecore interior design and the other trends influencing home decor in 2022 here.
And the cherry on the top of this yummy property cake is the outstanding and truly breath-taking, panoramic sea and coastal view from the property and all of its extra land - that's just showing off. The house that seems to have it all is on the market for £600,000 with estate agents Monopoly Buy Sell Rent, call their Llanbedr branch on 01341 475000 to find out more.
Rhiw, Gwynedd: £675,000
If you had to choose between your home having a sweeping sea view or a remarkable rural vista, which would win? No need to ponder this property question at this pretty cottage - it can boast both.
From its prime position on the south westerly side of the Mynydd Rhiw mountain, the property can enthral you with magnificent uninterrupted panoramic views across the southern tip of the glorious Llŷn Peninsula and across to the Irish Sea with Aberdaron Bay and Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) in the near distance.
Peace and tranquillity come as part of this property package, as the home called Garreg Lefain Fawr is found at the end of a no-through road, nestles within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and borders National Trust land.
It might be peaceful but that doesn't mean it's boring - watch the dolphins play in the waters off the coast, wander the myriad of countryside walks on the doorstep and choose one of the superb award-winning beaches for a day on the sand, cooling off regularly in the sea.
The estate agent states that the present owners have lived in the property for a number of years and during this time they have undertaken many fine improvements to the existing layout, particularly to the spacious front lounge, diner kitchen.
They have installed new double glazed picture windows and patio doors which open out onto a beautiful raised sun terrace that is arguably the prime spot to soak in the prime country and coast views that surround this pretty abode, including regular spectacular sunsets over the Irish sea.
Inside, the prime spot is the renovated and reworked kitchen diner, offering a whole wall of glass windows and doors to ensure the connection to the captivating country and coast is continuous, even if you do pop inside to escape the rain or the rarer, scorching sunshine.
The cottage has three bedrooms, a study, a utility room, a bathroom and the spacious kitchen diner lounge surrounded by beautiful, mature gardens that include the must-have BBQ area that has maybe one of the best panoramic views to burn the burgers from in Wales.
The house with the best combination of coast and country is on the market for £675,000 with Beresford Adams, call their Abersoch branch on 01758 580134 for more details.
Abersoch: £950,000
If you love the idea of living in a traditional and characterful Welsh cottage, think an uninterrupted sea view and the beach a few metres from your front door would be a dream, and have a passion for golf, this property for sale is going to make you melt - and it will take £650,000 to revive you.
Located literally in the middle of a coastal golf course, the time to tee-off at this pretty stone property is any time, just step outside with your clubs and get going, as the home is a stone built island surrounded by a sea of green and golf greens at the 18-hole, popular coastal course at Abersoch. But if you want the blue sea too, that is only a few metres away too - just grab your surfboard instead of your golf bag.
From a bench in your garden you can watch and analyse other player's swing style and if it's bad, maybe duck a few stray balls too, or from the safety of your back garden enjoy the privacy that the surrounding woodland offers.
Abersoch golf club has been described as a jewel on the Welsh Riviera with stunning views and the same could certainly be said about this historic property which is thought to have once been two fishermen's cottages.
Called Morfa Gorse, the cottage was once a home surrounded by farmland that became an island in the centre of the golf club when the course was developed. It has the most remarkable sweeping, expansive view of the sand dunes, beach, sea and coast is just as breath-taking as the golf course vistas in the foreground.
Across the sand dunes, the stunning Green Coast Award winning Machroes beach awaits to captivate you with its long stretch of golden sands that meres with Abersoch beach at one end and offers a variety of water activities from windsurfing to jet skiing to sailing at the nearby Abersoch sailing club.
The cottage has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and living room plus a bonus one bed and shower room chalet next to the period cottage. See more photos
inside the cottage here.
The golf course cottage is for sale for £650,000 with estate agent Savills, call their Wilmslow branch on 01625 417450 for more information. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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