There are so many beautiful spots to call home in Wales. Our nation spoils us with a wealth of stunning scenery that can truly mesmerise, from rolling hills and angular mountain peaks to rugged coastlines and meandering river valleys.
Every county of Wales can offer something special to capture the heart and create the perfect picturesque composition for the perfect photo. But how do you decide which area is more beautiful than another and which would be a very pretty place to call home, whatever your budget?
When it comes to the top 10 places in the UK that are both beautiful and affordable, a new survey puts Wales in third and seventh places with Portmeirion and Barmouth, respectively . The study by Hammonds Furniture was carried out due to the changes in the housing market since the Covid-19 pandemic began to change how many people now live and work.
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With remote working remaining popular, and a reported 57% of UK workers favouring their home office at least one day a week according to data from Computer Weekly, people have more freedom in choosing where to live - enabling people to move to a location for its beauty, rather than its distance to the office.
But if you're moving with the location as the main driver, which ‘picturesque’ places are actually still affordable? The company states that using both desk research and a national UK survey of 2,000 people, they created a list of 125 UK ‘picturesque’ towns and villages.
They then looked at the number of photos taken in each location on Instagram using the location's hashtag and cross-referenced it with sold house price data from property portal Zoopla and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) UK House Price Index.
Hashtag number, average house price of the area, and then the difference in house price were then compared and ranked to create a scoring system where locations could score a number out of 100 total. The result is a top 10 of best value picturesque places to buy a home in the UK.
And the result is very interesting as it can, at the very least, give us a collection of some of the most photographed areas of the UK on Instagram.
Anyone who has ever visited the county of Gwynedd knows that from the coast to the mountains, the region is absolutely stunning, so it won't be a surprise to most that two areas within this gem are in the UK top 10 list. From a first-time buyer with a more modest budget to someone looking for a substantial abode to call their new home, both areas have dream homes for sale for every level of budget, and all can have a picturesque setting or view.
Portmeirion / Porthmadog area
Number three in the UK list is the area around Portmeirion, particularly along the coast and into and surrounding the village of Penrhyndeudraeth, Porthmadog and the Afon Dwyryd estuary. As well as this famous Italian-style coastal village that attracts thousands of people to visit every year, the area around the estuary can offer idyllic river walks and a stunning coastline packed with award-winning beaches.
The Snowdonia National Park is on the doorstep for the most breath-taking mountain rambling, and the area could be seen as the gateway to the truly gorgeous Llyn Peninsula, a peaceful and unspoilt corner of Wales quite rightly a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The peninsula is a haven for wildlife and a playground for people looking to fully immerse themselves in nature via gentle rambles to more energetic watersports, all with the most picturesque of coast and country backdrops.
The company states that, using Zoopla data, homes surrounding the Portmeirion area cost £172,875 on average, which is over £100k less than the UK average, making it a strong choice for those looking to relocate somewhere beautiful while on a budget. But if you have a more substantial figure to spend, the area can accommodate you too.
First-time buyer: £135,000
This pretty end of terrace property sits in a slightly elevated position opposite the park in the quiet hamlet called Prenteg on the outskirts of Porthmadog.
Externally there is a decked seating area which wraps around the side of the property offering you views of the mountains, and the estate agent selling this well-loved home says you can even catch a glimpse of the famous narrow gauge steam railway if you time it right.
Inside, the lounge diner at the front looks out over the view as well as offering a very sociable space, with the kitchen and a cloakroom found to the side. The house used to be a two bedroom property but has been remodelled to create one big bedroom and one big bathroom, boasting a four-piece suite and lots of space.
The house is ripe for a first-time buyer to enter its story and create their perfect pad as the first rung on their personal property ladder - don't look down, just go for it, and make this sweet abode your interior designed dream home. The house is on the market for £135,000 with Beresford Adams, call their Porthmadog branch on 01766 750021 to find out more.
Family home: £364,999
Nestled within a quiet residential area of the village of Penrhyndeudreth, this detached family home has a garden, a 23ft lounge with patio doors that get you out there, and a seriously stunning, sweeping view of the surrounding countryside thanks to its elevated position.
There's parking for the cars outside and parking for the whole family inside via the large lounge as well as a family room and separate dining room.
Upstairs there are five bedrooms and the smaller of the set could be a study and home office if required. Plus the master bedroom has a dressing room as well as an ensuite that supplements the family bathroom. The house is for sale for £364,999 with Beresford Adams, call their Porthmadog branch on 01766 750021 to find out more.
Bigger budget: £625,000
This substantial family home is set in an elevated position in the popular coastal village of Borth Y Gest with views across the Afon Dwyryd towards Tremadog Bay and opposite the water from Portmeirion.
The pretty period property is surrounded by its own garden, so plenty of outside space wherever you roam. Going outside the garden gate, the water's edge and exposed sections of sand are only a short stroll away or you can just admire the view of the village and water from this home's location above this picture perfect scene.
This attractive period property has three levels to delight you, from the four reception spaces on the ground floor up to the five bedrooms that span the two upper floors. The house even comes with an array of bonus outbuildings to give the home a practical extra as well as maybe the possibility of conversion, subject to planning consent.
The house on the hill is for sale for offers in the region of £625,000 with Beresford Adams, call their Porthmadog branch on 01766 750021 to find out more.
Barmouth area
As the glorious Mawddach estuary meets the sea and the towering peaks of Snowdonia and the Cader Idris range dominate the horizon and the start of the Snowdonia National Park is only about 500 metres away, the location in and around the coastal town of Barmouth is spectacular - nature at its finest.
Visit Wales states that Barmouth is southern Snowdonia's most popular seaside resort, stating: "In summer, its big sandy beach is a magnet for visitors, yet there’s so much space along miles of unbroken sands that it never gets overcrowded."
There are plenty of events to keep you occupied too, including the Barmouth to Fort William Three Peaks Yacht Race, the Barmouth Food Festival and the Barmouth Walking Festival. And when there's not an event in the area to get involved with, the town has plenty of options for eating and drinking, socialising, strolling and surfing.
According to the research by Hammond Furniture, the average house price in and around Barmouth is £272,480, with the area appearing as number seven in their top ten list.
First-time buyer: £145,000
if your budget is at the lower end of the scale you don't need to decrease your expectations of bagging a home that can be at the forefront of the best location or immersed in the most picturesque spot in the area.
This apartment on the second floor of Albion House on the seafront of this pretty coastal town is just one of four in the charming stone terrace Victorian property. And the good news is that it has recently undergone a renovation project, so all a first-time buyer has to do here is turn up with their suitcase and bucket and spade and get on with living the seaside dream.
The flat can offer a double bedroom, shower room and a sea view facing open-plan kitchen, dining and lounge space with a bay window demanding you place a pair of chairs within to fully admire the view.
As well as being directly opposite the beach, the flat is within a minute's walk of the shops, restaurants and the train station in this popular coastal town. On the market for £145,000 with Monopoly Buy Sell Rent, call the Llanbedr branch on 01341 475000 to find out more.
Family home: £385,000
This Georgian beauty might not have the biggest or best family garden at the back, but it's got a mesmerising view and a stroll down the hill to the expansive beach means kicking a football to the waves and back is only a few minutes away.
The imposing Grade II listed, double fronted, semi-detached family residence was constructed around 1819 and since then every lucky owner has been fully enjoying the commanding, wonderful views from eight of its rooms that stretch across the Mawddach Estuary to the mountains beyond.
Five storeys, four bedrooms, two bathrooms and one incredible view makes this very attractive house a very attractive proposition. For sale for £385,000 with Warriner's, Bangor, call them on 01248 811579 to find out more.
Budget buster: £1,350,000
This Edwardian beauty has a garden that starts with an elevated terrace and then descends down towards the beach and that's the first place to enjoy the view, but this substantial period property can offer so many more.
The addition of a first floor balcony and a veranda, now enclosed in glass, means you can immerse yourself in the view, whatever the weather, and that's just two of the many places to linger and love that ocean vista.
The duo of distinctive, dome topped towers at each of the sea facing corners of the house are triumphant additions, creating multiple views out to sea and along the coast at Barmouth. Inside the house has a warren of wonderful rooms that includes
Called Tremora, this amazing house is on the market for offers in the region of £1,350,000 with Walter Lloyd Jones & Co, call the Barmouth office on 01341 280527 to find out more. And to make sure you never miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, which is sent out to your inbox twice a week.
