Finding a country cottage in a remote rural spot to immerse yourself in nature and live maybe a more peaceful life than hurtling about in an urban environment has become a property dream for many people.
It appears that turning this daydream into a reality has been accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, with even properties needing a shocking amount of work needing to be done becoming attractive - if they can still be found and if they are in the right rural location.
Tumbledown cottages lacking windows, a roof, a front door- or even all three - are now being hunted down and snapped up by buyers looking for the quieter life in a beautiful location at levels significantly higher than pre-Covid times, according to most estate agents.
Wales has recently been named as the region in the UK with the highest increase in house prices over the past year - you can read that story here.
The western counties of Wales, in particular Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion, have all seen a huge rise in demand and stories of how challenging the current property market is, especially for buyers, are becoming commonplace.
Recently, buyers and agents spoke to WalesOnline about their anger and frustration over excessive asking prices and having to manage a huge amount of interest in every listing - you can read that story here.
So it's maybe not a surprise to many people to see a rural wreck come onto the market with a healthy price tag. You're buying the countryside or coastal dream and, if the property is well-positioned, easy access to both.
If you have vision and a budget to match the task, maybe one of these former homes nestled within some of Wales' most beautiful areas could be your ultimate renovation project.
Pembrokeshire: £180,000
If you can find it down the dead end country lane, and then find it on the actual site as it's camouflaged by years of nature moving in, it quickly becomes clear that this cottage is situated in an idyllic location.
Once the renovation work is complete, starting with a strimmer, the Pembrokeshire cottage offers a new owner the perfect blend of country, coast and river.
Near the northern bank of the River Nevern, the stone and slate cottage comes with about three-quarters of an acre that includes waterside land and fishing rights for two rods on a stretch of the river.
Called Cwm Cottage, the property is close to the Pembrokeshire coast too and all the stunning sandy beaches and rocky coves this beautiful stretch of Wales can offer.
According to the estate agent selling the cottage it is about a mile on foot from the coastal town of Newport, about two miles by road, and the coast at The Parrog is only about half a mile away.
Handy to know that all the beauty this county can offer is right on the property's doorstep, if it actually had a doorstep.
So, it might not have a full roof, windows, kitchen, or bathroom, but it does have detailed planning consent, and that's a huge bonus and one huge potential property renovation headache avoided.
The estate agent states that the planning consent is to renovate and extend the cottage with a floorplan that reveals a kitchen diner living room with an inglenook fireplace and bathroom on the ground floor, and two bedrooms, or a bedroom and a snug come office, on the first floor.
There are stone outbuildings on the site too and these have been earmarked as a utility room, cloakroom, plant equipment room and garden store.
For further details on the planning application NP/16/0169/FUL go to Pembrokeshire County Council's website.
For further details about the cottage with potential and maybe the prettiest place to call home, call the estate agent JJ Morris at their Fishguard branch on 01348 873836.
Carmarthenshire: £225,000
This cottage has not welcomed a resident for over 40 years and at some time in the past it has lost its characterful thatch roof too.
The property has only nature and a few chairs inside to keep it company, but a hefty seven acres of nature comes with the sale of this building.
There's about an acre immediately surrounding the cottage that includes woodland and then a further seven acres or so of level meadow land that requires re-establishment.
The estate agent states that the current owner has not used this larger parcel of land for some time but remembers it being used in the past for grazing a dairy herd.
You then have the beginnings of a smallholding offering a rural 'good life'-style retreat, with space for a manageable amount of livestock and growing your own food.
Nestled within the picturesque Teifi Valley, the cottage is west of Llandysul and the town of Cardigan and the coastline is about a 25 minute drive away.
The cottage is close to the road between Newcastle Emlyn and Rhos, so for anyone who wants the rural smallholding existence but also wants easy access to nearby towns and villages, this cute cottage may be ideal.
According to the estate agent selling the property, the building began life as a 'cruck-framed' cottage, with that charming thatch roof literally its crowning glory.
Currently the cottage has four rooms. The original living room at the front of the property still has its exposed beam ceiling and a stone, open fireplace as well as a tiled floor.
The next room at the front of the house was formerly a bedroom and at the rear can be found the former kitchen and another bedroom. It's a mystery where the bathroom once was.
The estate agent states that mains water and electricity are available in close proximity subject to any connection charges, and it is understood that they have previously been connected to the property.
There is a mains sewerage pumping station along the lane from the property but it is not known if connection to this is possible.
The cottage may come with some questions that need answering, including a conversation with Carmarthenshire County Council planning department about the probability of securing consent to renovate and expand the property, but it also comes with a chance to create an idyllic smallholding lifestyle at a charming country cottage.
The cottage and land is for sale for a guide price of £225,000, contact estate agent Evans Bros at their Lampeter branch on 01570 422395 to find out more.
Ceredigion: £250,000+
If you're looking for an even larger smallholding, with more potential space for humans, animals and food planting then this abandoned cottage just four miles from the Ceredigion coast north of Aberaeron is the next step up from its Carmarthenshire neighbour.
And this property can boast a sea view from part of its land too.
But with bigger size usually comes bigger cost and the estate agent thinks this cottage will go for more than its starting guide price of £250,000.
This rundown former traditional Welsh farmhouse is probably the most secluded of the trio of tempting renovation projects, accessed by a network of single-track country lanes, one of which is a no-through road so peace and tranquillity sounds like it is guaranteed.
About a mile from the hamlet of Rhydrosser and four miles from the coastal village of Llanrhystud, even the more populated places in the area are small and quiet.
Once you do find it though, the journey is more than worth it to find Pigyn Isaf homestead.
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The main property nestles into a small valley and is surrounded by trees, promoting the peaceful and secluded existence that the tiny country lane had suggested.
And there's not only the substantial farmhouse on offer and looking for a renovation from its new owner, but also a detached stone barn and about 14 acres of picturesque land that undulates across the country around the homestead and towards the sea.
The main house may be lacking some windows, some solid floors and even a front door but the potential to create something special here is definitely in attendance.
Inside, the exterior four walls and roof remain, which is a bonus and not always a given with an empty rural property.
There are two ground floor rooms with original fireplaces and one former bedroom upstairs, plus a 'lean-to' room at the rear.
The cute stone and slate barn measures very approximately five by five metres.
As well as researching the possibility of acquiring planning permission to extend the property, a potential new owner also has the opportunity to extend the land, with an extra 13.2 acres adjoining the homestead available via separate negotiation.
The homestead that could be your new home and smallholding, is for sale for offers in excess of £250,000, call the estate agent Morgan & Davies at their Aberaeron branch on 01545 571600 to find out more.
