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Wales Online
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Joanne Ridout

Inside the abandoned 10-bed Cardiff city centre house too dangerous to enter

Never judge a property by its external appearance only - a good-looking house could be a tip inside or a rather tired facade could be hiding an absolute gem once you step inside.

From the putside, this abandoned property on one of the main roads through Cardiff city centre looks a rather handsome house that has windows and a front door that look fairly modern, so hopefully it's the three-storey building that just needs a light refurbishment.

The need to bring the tool box to the address is hinted at by the unruly front garden but the lure of possible multiple bedrooms is undeniable as the property used to be Marlborough Guest House, so surely it has an abundance of choices of slumber spaces inside.

READ MORE: The surprise country manor hiding in the middle of a Welsh town

The substantial house on offer becomes more apparent from the rear (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)

A quick trip to website Tripadvisor reveals it might have been quite a unique place to stay in the past according to the reviews of the establishment up to 2009, with a mix between five stars 'amazing' and one star 'awful', but then all goes quiet.

And that's because the house then had plans to be converted from a guest house into a 12 bedroom student house by architect company DTB design approved by Cardiff County Council in 2011.

Located only half a mile from the city centre and Cardiff University buildings beyond, this new chapter in the property's life journey seemed appropriate at the time, but at some point things changed and now the house lies empty and abandoned.

Worse than that, it appears to have been attacked and pipes and heating ripped out, bathrooms and kitchen rooms stripped bare, furniture missing, and the result is now Marlborough House is looking very down on its luck. Currently described as 'derelict' it needs and deserves a full renovation throughout.

The staircase is the only remaining original feature (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
A disaster zone on the top floor (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
A hole in the roof means rain joins the mess (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)

But you will have to either look through the windows, check out the photos or take the word of the estate agent selling the property, because they won't let you in. David's Homes states: "We are unable to access this property internally due to health and safety restrictions. Thank you for your understanding."

And once you see the photos you can understand why potential buyers can't see inside and that the photographer who took them deserves an award - so many of the floorboards are missing and there are gaping holes in floors and ceilings.

Plaster and tiles falling off (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
Plaster completely gone to reveal the inner insulation (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)

There is very little left inside now, replaced by signs of water ingress and dampness. One of the top bedrooms has a hefty hole in its ceiling that carries on through the roof and then out to the sky above, with water obviously pouring in when it's raining.

There's plaster crumbling off some walls, suggesting that the guttering, fascias or windows - or all three - are failing in places, and one room has become so damp infested that it's starting to turn green thanks to a growth of what appears to be mould and moss.

Eek, there's a mould problem growing in one of the rooms (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
More damp on walls and sections of ceilings collapsing (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)

There are old mattresses and random items left strewn about the rooms, but any period fireplaces that might have survived its 2011 conversion have now disappeared.

There is a toilet and basin that is still clinging on to existence, and the remains of a fireplace surrounded but they don't look particularly salvageable.

The electrics look more than dodgy, with wires dangling down in mainly the top floor rooms ready to worry you, and while you're looking up to make sure you don't headbutt a live wire, be careful not to plant your foot into a hole left by the random removal of floorboards that are surely the result of metal pipe theft.

Hardly any floor left in this room (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
More under floor pipes pinched in this room (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
Wires hanging down so you need to look as well as down to avoid hazards (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)

At the rear of this Victorian villa is a small garden, parking area and garage off the rear lane, and the property also has a lower basement level that must surely be the creepiest area of the house, but you'll just have to imagine what's down there, as there's no access here either.

In total, the end of terrace house has three main floors plus the basement, offering communal areas plus 10 bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Of course, it could go back to being a guest house, a HMO (house in multiple occupation), one whole house or converted into flats, subject to planning consent.

Dumping ground (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
More remnants of what the house used to be (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)

The property is for cash buyers only as getting a mortgage on this house will be very challenging, if not impossible, so it is a sale aimed firmly at developers.

And surely a seasoned property developer can see past the problems at this property to its potential, both for its size and location, and maybe price too, as it is on the market for offers over £250,000.

Hopefully a new owner will put the heart and soul of the house back together and even install some much missed Victorian character, but first the house needs to become completely watertight; interior design can wait.

Spooky steps down to a spooky basement (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)
Most of the bathrooms are now just empty shells (David's Homes, Cardiff / rightmove)

Of course, there's nothing stopping a home hunter buying the house for cash, they'd just better be brilliant at DIY or know a very good builder.

The house is for sale with estate agent David's Homes, Cardiff, call them on 029 2030 3030 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, auction properties, renovation stories, and interiors - join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.

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