Weather's Closed Down

The useful website Rhuthun Weather closed on March 14th, 2015. Enquirers who visit the site now see a message that says,

"Due to relocation this site is now permanently closed. Thank you"

That's not a website relocation but a house move on the part of the weatherman.

Rhuthun Weather ran from a four-bed det Turner house of c.1992 vintage in Graigfechan that was put on the property market at the end of January at £285,000 by its owners. After just five weeks, it had sold subject to contract. £285,000 was top weight for the village. This is not surprising. It was in a good location, overlooking open countryside and in good order. They bought it for £225,000 in 2006 and subsequently refitted kitchen and bathrooms.

The site's closure leaves something of a weather void. Rhuthun Weather was very comprehensive in its trend analysis and forecasting. When re-configured on November 7th, 2010, the site's owner said,

"The site is relaunched today with a cleaner design and more focus on weather and the community. Over the coming weeks the site will grow and will be more community focused"

This "community focus" soon stalled but the site's raison d'être remained. And it was once Ruthin Weather but the site owner allowed the previous ruthinweather.co.uk to lapse such that it got into someone else's hands (though is currently available should anyone actually want it).

The house remains sold STC. That sounds like some nasty disease but it's a three-letter acronym that home sellers love to see. Of course, there's many a slip but the housing market is showing some signs of positive activity at the moment along with what is a general upturn in the economy.

For the money, the buyers at Graigfechan might've tried the prominent The Wynnstay that sold STC a fortnight ago after a year on the market initially at £330,000 but reduced to £300,000 plus stamp duty paid by the vendor. That equates to £5,000 but it would've been £9,000 before the recent budget. Offering much character, this semi is nonetheless hemmed in by urban roads. It has something of an overwhelmingly large open space downstairs that may need partitioning.

Or, they might've gone for Plas Trefor, near Cyffylliog, also sold STC last month. It comes with significant land at over eight acres plus farm outbuildings but the double fronted farmhouse that dates from 1884 does require modernisation. It was marketed by an estate agent based in Newent in Gloucestershire, a firm that's been trading as long as Plas Trefor's been standing. Plas Trefor came on the market at £300,000 mine months ago and, unusually, increased after six weeks to £315,000. When this last changed hands in 1998, it went for an amazing £60,000.