Taylor Wimpey states it is close to re-starting the build within the Walled City of Glasdir. They abandoned things soon after the flood of November 2012. To restart, they need to conclude negotiations to ensure there are commercial insurance premiums and mortgages available to prospective purchasers. When done, expect to see the Chernobyl-style buildings currently in various stages of completion ready to market.
But will Taylor Wimpey build Phase Two? That's the $64,000 question. Finishing off the part-complete stock and building on the existing slabs is one thing. Committing to a completely new phase is quite another. Either this simply won't happen or Taylor Wimpey will sell the land on to another, smaller builder.
Meanwhile, we present to you No. 18, Stryd y Barcud, within the Walled City itself. Rightmove has it as a four-bed house when in actual fact it has five. Today, this property will have been for sale for exactly six months.
Its asking price is currently £225,000. Surely a bargain for the number of bedrooms, especially when compared to other locations in Rhuthun/Ruthin. It offers considerable space and flexibility. It was built as a fuel-efficient home. And, it's only five years old, so it's modern and it benefits from the remainder of the builder's guarantee. Not only that, its ground floor accommodation was refitted new, following the flood of November 2012.
Its downside is that it's a three-storey town house. That means lots of stairs and little defendable space at the front. Indeed, it’s virtually on the estate road but it also fronts the Northern Relief Road. It's leasehold, too. Glasdir houses were all built as leasehold. There was an option at the time of first purchase to buy out the freehold but only about a quarter of customers opted for this.
When built new in 2010, the property sold for £50 shy of £210,000. At that time, prices were still in the doldrums but had recovered slightly after the slump of 2008-2009. In 2012, the owners offered the house for sale via Cavendish Ikin at £222,500. The market was no different in 2012 than 2010, but the asking price had increased by six per cent. It takes some time to establish the true value of new builds, especially when there's construction all around it, as there was then.
What happened next was the great Glasdir flood of November 2012. Still unsold, not surprisingly, No. 18 left the market. It re-entered six months ago at £225,000, at almost the 2010 price. Meanwhile, UK average house prices were equal to the high of 2007, immediately before the recession. They had increased by about 15 per cent. House prices in Rhuthun were sluggish. So, between September 2012 and December 2014, 18 The Park increased by three per cent. Between October 2010 and September 20134, Flat 7, Felindre, Mill Street increased by a similar amount.
In terms of trends within the Walled City itself to go on. Plat 16 Stryd y Wennol when new in 2009 was £85,000. That sold in September 2014 for £94,950 (a 12 per cent jump). A semi in Stryd yr Eos sold in January 2013 went for £220,950 but that was the only Taylor Wimpey new build to sell after the flood. Immediately before the flood, in November 2012, two neighbouring semis on Stryd yr Eos went brand new for £153,950 & £206,950.
And a terraced house at no. 33 Stryd y Wennol also sold in November 2012, 18 days before the flood, at £1143,950. That went on the market in February 2015 and is already sold subject to contract at £155,000 (an eight per cent increase).
In 2012, this property was with Cavendish Ikin (see press advert above). Now, the vendors have chosen Beresford Adams (see description below). Either way, estate agents tend to big up their properties. Here is a translation from both the 2012 and 2015 adverts:
"Popular development" means lots of houses here and Rhuthun people tend to avoid
Taylor Wimpey is still not marketing its Glasdir site, over two years since the flood. The nearest new properties of theirs are significantly to the east
But will Taylor Wimpey build Phase Two? That's the $64,000 question. Finishing off the part-complete stock and building on the existing slabs is one thing. Committing to a completely new phase is quite another. Either this simply won't happen or Taylor Wimpey will sell the land on to another, smaller builder.
The brick is almost Buckley yellow and is much lighter than most of the houses on Glasdir. In fact, so pale is it, you could call it the Milky Barcud
Meanwhile, we present to you No. 18, Stryd y Barcud, within the Walled City itself. Rightmove has it as a four-bed house when in actual fact it has five. Today, this property will have been for sale for exactly six months.
Its asking price is currently £225,000. Surely a bargain for the number of bedrooms, especially when compared to other locations in Rhuthun/Ruthin. It offers considerable space and flexibility. It was built as a fuel-efficient home. And, it's only five years old, so it's modern and it benefits from the remainder of the builder's guarantee. Not only that, its ground floor accommodation was refitted new, following the flood of November 2012.
Its downside is that it's a three-storey town house. That means lots of stairs and little defendable space at the front. Indeed, it’s virtually on the estate road but it also fronts the Northern Relief Road. It's leasehold, too. Glasdir houses were all built as leasehold. There was an option at the time of first purchase to buy out the freehold but only about a quarter of customers opted for this.
The 2012 Cavendish Ikin advertisement
When built new in 2010, the property sold for £50 shy of £210,000. At that time, prices were still in the doldrums but had recovered slightly after the slump of 2008-2009. In 2012, the owners offered the house for sale via Cavendish Ikin at £222,500. The market was no different in 2012 than 2010, but the asking price had increased by six per cent. It takes some time to establish the true value of new builds, especially when there's construction all around it, as there was then.
What happened next was the great Glasdir flood of November 2012. Still unsold, not surprisingly, No. 18 left the market. It re-entered six months ago at £225,000, at almost the 2010 price. Meanwhile, UK average house prices were equal to the high of 2007, immediately before the recession. They had increased by about 15 per cent. House prices in Rhuthun were sluggish. So, between September 2012 and December 2014, 18 The Park increased by three per cent. Between October 2010 and September 20134, Flat 7, Felindre, Mill Street increased by a similar amount.
In terms of trends within the Walled City itself to go on. Plat 16 Stryd y Wennol when new in 2009 was £85,000. That sold in September 2014 for £94,950 (a 12 per cent jump). A semi in Stryd yr Eos sold in January 2013 went for £220,950 but that was the only Taylor Wimpey new build to sell after the flood. Immediately before the flood, in November 2012, two neighbouring semis on Stryd yr Eos went brand new for £153,950 & £206,950.
And a terraced house at no. 33 Stryd y Wennol also sold in November 2012, 18 days before the flood, at £1143,950. That went on the market in February 2015 and is already sold subject to contract at £155,000 (an eight per cent increase).
In 2012, this property was with Cavendish Ikin (see press advert above). Now, the vendors have chosen Beresford Adams (see description below). Either way, estate agents tend to big up their properties. Here is a translation from both the 2012 and 2015 adverts:
- "Periphery" means isolated
- "Semi-rural aspect" means adjacent to the industrial area and main road
- "Private enclosed garden" means surrounded by other houses
- "Versatile" means no one really knows what to do with the interior
- "Cloakroom" manes lavatory
- "Impressive countryside views" means situate on a flood plain
- "VIEWING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" means all is not what it seems