With (very) unconfirmed reports that football manager José Mourinho is interested in the £3,900,000 Castell Gyrn above Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd—yeah, right; as if—what else's been happening to the local housing market?
They say that, nationally, the market has slowed—and vendors will be nervously watching the Brexit/Bremain campaigns to see what effect either will have on housing demand, house prices and mortgage repayments.
I doubt residents and estate agents in Rhuthun/Ruthin will complain about house sales this spring and early summer, though. It's been good especially at the middle of the market and even some larger properties at the upper end are either under offer or sold (and that's a bit of a change). Because this upper end has seen the smallest of turnarounds, it's here that we concentrate our interest. Mind you, it does depend upon where and what they are—and the asking price. Properties over £300,000 will always struggle these days because of the high-stakes mortgage required. This element of the housing market is nevertheless unlikely to take off again fully till:
Three rather unique and imposing homes have recently been declared sold subject to contract. One is the farm five-bed house of Castle Farm. It's location, on Wrexham Road, may not be the most desirable but it offers considerable character, land, views, five bathrooms, a separate two-bed cottage and outline permission for another dwelling. It does appear to warrant some investment, though. On the market for just four months before it sold, at £550,000 it automatically declares all other large properties on Wrexham Road as over-priced. Does require some work, though.
A second is Plas yn Dre, the fine double-fronted stone-dressed, link-detached (i.e. semi) on Castle Street. On the one hand, this is on Rhuthun's single most elegant street and the property is situate next to Nantclwyd y Dre. On the other, in spite of diversionary signage, it's still on busy Corwen Road. £399,950 was the asking price for an entrance *and* a reception hall, four beds, one en-suite and a cellar, plus the cachet of living on Castle Street. It was a surprise that it took the best part of a year to sell. It's rather hemmed in to the rear, where it joins a further property. Parking, however, is available.
Thirdly, it's also taken a year to sell this seemingly fetching property, Hew House. Set within the Castle's historic parkland, it dates from 1980, has enjoyed just one occupier and agents Wright Marshall state that this is "an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity, and the likely focus of a great deal of market attention". It has six beds but the stingers are that it "offers further potential for modernisation/improvement" and that the house is "perfectly livable having the benefit of a central heating system". It's possible to draw your own conclusions from both these well-chosen phrases. Also marketed as "tranquil", it actually backs on to Corwen Road, albeit sheltered by a substantial wall. All in all, though, it's hard to imagine a more secluded property that is so close to the town's amenities and the agents could be right when they say "the house offers a tremendous arrangement of flexible living space one would find difficult to better at this price level". But, even here, you can read opposing views even into that sentence.
More Affordable High-end Property on Premier Estates
Property A on the sought after Parc Brynhyfrd was on the market for £279,950 from late February 2016. It's the smallest house style thereon but, even so, enjoys four decent bedrooms. There was little interest but when the owners reduced the price to £265,000, they reportedly had four viewings in as many weeks that garnered an acceptable offer, three months after it was first marketed. The reduced asking price was the same as a larger four bed in Ffordd Cunedda that was originally on during Spring 2014 for £310,000 but reduced to £290,000, selling in December 2015 for £265,000. Property A, though smaller, is in a much better condition internally, there being much work to do on the larger house.
Now sold is property B on the opposite Bryn Eryl estate. It's a house of similar size (though it's actually marginally bigger). It's been on the market for well over a year and was initially posted at £300,000, thence in August 2015 to £285,000, thence this year to £260,000, whence it sold to a single person believed to be from Y Fflint.
Both sales seem to have established something of a benchmark for the smaller four bed properties on the sought after east of town. This means that property C, at the very threshold of Parc Brynhyfryd, with mismatched brickwork and of a similar design to property B on Bryn Eryl, when on for £299,000 was well over-priced (without an en-suite and close to Mold Road). The vendors rectified this to some degree today by dropping to £279,950. Is that enough, though?
Meanwhile, also on Parc Brynhyfrd, property D on Stryd y Brython has reduced from £340,000 to £330,000 but, as yet, remains unsold. This backs onto open countryside, with views to the Clwydian Range and with the conversion of the double to single garage and the consequent introduction of a ground floor study. For a family, it's ideal, as it backs on to the path to Ysgol Brynhyfryd. Home owners have punched their own accesses onto the path. There is talk, though, of this being fenced off.
The £350,000 price tag makes property E, also on Parc Brynhyfryd and added on June 2nd seem over-priced. Admittedly it's tucked away at the head of a cul-de-sac but its southerly rear aspect is thwarted by a bank of trees. These trees shield the house from Llanrhydd at Red Rocks but they are no barrier for the traffic noise therealong, especially as all bedrooms have a rear window through which it's possible to hear the traffic.
A similarly large property F across the green was initially put on for £350,000 but with no interest this remains unsold from May 17th at £325,000, even with five beds and an attractive garden to front and rear. (This was marked as SSTC in mid-June).
An identical house to property E but on Bryn Eryl (property G) was once marketed for £330,000 but has stuck on the market for well over a year and is not shifting at the reduced price of £300,000. Mind you, the Bryn Eryl property backs directly onto the A494 which, by comparison, makes Llanrhydd seem like a farm track.
The property scoring the record for the longest time on the market in this locality is off Stryd y Brython. It's reduced marginally by £5,000 to £320,000 but has remained unsold, in spite of some initial healthy viewings. It's amazing that this was first marketed in April 2013, *three* years ago, when it was £339,950. During the ensuing months, it's been back and to between agents. With its long ugly concrete drive but very attractive and larger rear garden, given its mid-range size on Parc Brynhyfryd, as the market seems to have adjusted itself somewhat, it's now considerably over-priced.
Llanfair Road
Returning to the area from which we started, there's a forest of for sale signs currently adorning the "highly regarded residential area" of Llanfair Road. Little there appears to be shifting. There were three sales in 2014, zero in 2015 and, to date, one SSTC this year—but that's outside the 30 mph limit and it comes with an acre of land. Why are they not selling? As aforesaid, one reason is the poor performance of Ysgol Brynhyfryd: if you can afford the upper end of the market, you can also afford to be choosy about where you live and if you have children, Rhuthun now may no longer feature.
One obvious disadvantage of Llanfair Road is the volume of traffic on the A525. If that doesn't bother you, many of the properties thereon are substantial but not cheap.
Four bed property J entered the market at £339,950 in May 2105 and between then and its reduction in March 2016 to £325,000, we understand that Williams sent no one to view. In May 2015, the owners additionally are using Beresford Adams.
The disadvantage of property K, added on February 2016, is that it will take a little work to bring it up to four beds. It's nevertheless a rather large three bed property, with three reception rooms, plenty of space in the kitchen for an additional dinning area and a feature balcony. So, with an asking price of £425,000, on the face of it, it only appears a little over-priced (but it is on the market with Cavendish who, in my opinion, have a tendency to pitch too highly). At least it's on the side of Llanfair Road with pleasing views over the countryside but the ground floor exterior stone facing, the predisposition towards passé crazy paving and vulgar interior stone fire place & chimney breast will not be to everyone's tastes. Only one bedroom is sheltered from the noise of the road.
The frontal extension of to the property looks a little like a bolt-on but in actual fact it lends itself to a pleasing L-shaped, four bed house. The remodelling has sensibly placed the lounge, dinning room and even the kitchen to the middle or rear of the property, away from the main road. It's been on the market since March 2016 at £365,000, and its more realistic tag nevertheless reflects the new extension, the large rear garden and rear views. It still has a "period" stone chimney breast within. It's too early to tell if it's been correctly assessed but given the lack of price resilience at the upper end of the market, the difficulties in moving houses on Llanfair Street and the better value of quieter properties on Parc Brynhyfryd, we'd say it was over-priced.
Now then, here we have in M a beautifully modernised and remodelled four bed house on Llanfair Road with tasteful wooden flooring and a brand new stylish kitchen. It's been on the market nearly a year and not even a drop in price from £350,00 to £339.950 sees it shifting. This is a shame, because it looks absolutely stunning both sides of the front door. It even has a dressing room within the master bedroom, part of an extension to the rear. From February this year, it's also on for rental at a cool £1,200 per calendar month.
Reduced at the beginning of the year to to £305,000 is property N, again on Llanfair Street. Massive garden to front and not an inconsiderable area to the rear, at least three of this property's four bedrooms are away from the main road. No en-suite, though. A more realistic price.
Any finally...
We must make mention of Clwyd Bank. Added on the market on May 19th, 2016, £225,000 gets you three storeys, exposed wattle & daub lattice work and wooden frame trusses. Estate agent particulars say 17th century but we fancy this may be from the 16th. It isn't a quiet location and all bedrooms face Clwyd Street but it is a well known property and for the money you could buy an anonymous bungalow or a 1930s semi... but why?
They say that, nationally, the market has slowed—and vendors will be nervously watching the Brexit/Bremain campaigns to see what effect either will have on housing demand, house prices and mortgage repayments.
I doubt residents and estate agents in Rhuthun/Ruthin will complain about house sales this spring and early summer, though. It's been good especially at the middle of the market and even some larger properties at the upper end are either under offer or sold (and that's a bit of a change). Because this upper end has seen the smallest of turnarounds, it's here that we concentrate our interest. Mind you, it does depend upon where and what they are—and the asking price. Properties over £300,000 will always struggle these days because of the high-stakes mortgage required. This element of the housing market is nevertheless unlikely to take off again fully till:
- Ysgol Brynhyfryd sorts itself out: this will take a few years yet. If you're trawling for where to live, would you pick a town whose school is "red"?
- There's more senior staff being recruited at Denbighshire (and Flintshire) County Council: currently there are lay-offs. It's hard to think that the position in local government will ever change, yet Rhuthun/Ruthin relies on it.
More Affordable High-end Property on Premier Estates
Property A on the sought after Parc Brynhyfrd was on the market for £279,950 from late February 2016. It's the smallest house style thereon but, even so, enjoys four decent bedrooms. There was little interest but when the owners reduced the price to £265,000, they reportedly had four viewings in as many weeks that garnered an acceptable offer, three months after it was first marketed. The reduced asking price was the same as a larger four bed in Ffordd Cunedda that was originally on during Spring 2014 for £310,000 but reduced to £290,000, selling in December 2015 for £265,000. Property A, though smaller, is in a much better condition internally, there being much work to do on the larger house.
Llanfair Road
Returning to the area from which we started, there's a forest of for sale signs currently adorning the "highly regarded residential area" of Llanfair Road. Little there appears to be shifting. There were three sales in 2014, zero in 2015 and, to date, one SSTC this year—but that's outside the 30 mph limit and it comes with an acre of land. Why are they not selling? As aforesaid, one reason is the poor performance of Ysgol Brynhyfryd: if you can afford the upper end of the market, you can also afford to be choosy about where you live and if you have children, Rhuthun now may no longer feature.
One obvious disadvantage of Llanfair Road is the volume of traffic on the A525. If that doesn't bother you, many of the properties thereon are substantial but not cheap.
Any finally...
