A former council house in a popular North Wales resort has been put on the market for a huge sum.
The three bedroomed semi-detached home in Abersoch has been put up for sale with a price tag of £385,000, following a makeover by the current owner.
The Maes Gwydryn property was listed by agents Beresford Adams, which has four Abersoch homes on its website at between £1.25m and £3m.
It was bought for £245,000 in 2018 and given a “considerable update” to create contemporary interiors.
A key selling point is its proximity to the centre of Abersoch, reports North Wales Live.
But Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society) said the sale threw into sharp focus the extent of a housing crisis which has left house prices beyond the reach of many local people.
Society activist Osian Jones, a leading member of the “Nid yw Cymru ar werth / Wales is not for sale” campaign, said it demonstrated the need for a new Property Act to control the housing market in sensitive areas.
He said: “The fact that a house – which had previously always been a council house – is being put on the market for £385,000, especially in a village where people are unable to afford to settle down locally, is an absolute disgrace.”
The issue was also highlighted at a recent protest in Llangefni, where demonstrators claimed 70% of homes in some villages were empty for most if the year.
At the rally Anglesey MS Rhun ap Iorwerth said that the situation is now an “emergency” in many communities.
With second homes said to have made up 36% of the island’s property sales last year, Anglesey Council's Executive has written to the Welsh Government urging changes to the planning system.
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Osian Jones said it was clear that local housing markets were not working for local people.
He said: “The market is clearly unable to regulate itself, the Welsh Government must therefore step in to ensure that the housing market works for the benefit of communities, not capitalism.
“In the long-term, this means that we need a Property Act.
“However, there also needs to be a package of measures that deal with the urgent issue of the current housing crisis.”
