Finding a house virtually untouched by time and mostly intact from the day it was built has become a hard job, especially on a popular and expensive street in an increasingly popular and expensive coastal town.
A renovation project has long been seen by many house hunters as probably the only way they are going to be able to secure a home in an expensive area, if a fully habitable abode is out of their price range.
If it's all about location, location, location, then buying the worst house on the best street can be the answer, as long as you go into it with your eyes and wallet wide-open, and the patience and strength to tackle a full renovation.
READ MORE: Most and least expensive homes sold in Wales in the last three months
Penarth has long been a popular place to live and thrive, especially for families.
Close to the coast, close to Cardiff for city jobs and amenities, and close to the countryside of Vale of Glamorgan, it's at the centre of a very tempting triangle of accessible and attractive locations. Blessed with an abundance of period properties to choose from too, the town is full of character.
The town's predominance of pretty tree-lined streets boast homes ranging from huge Victorian villas to charming 'between the wars' houses, from new contemporary mansions to apartments with sea, park or red rooftop views.
Parks, independent shops, excellent schools and a seafront packed with cafes, restaurants and an attractive Art Deco pier all combine to make Penarth an attractive property proposition for a buyer from any demographic, if they have the budget.
According to property portal Zoopla, in the last five years the average value of property in Penarth has risen by almost 17%, equating to a £51,748 rise in value. This has led to a current average value of £361,884 compared to neighbour Cardiff at £267,351.
Of course, the capital has a different composition of housing and property stock, and areas of lower prices, that will affect the average, but even taking this into consideration, it is still interesting to see Penarth continue to gallop away from the average Cardiff house price.
The biggest increase in average value in Penarth has been within the semi-detached property type, with a £65,125 (22%) increase in average value over the past five years, although over the past year this has stabilised somewhat, settling at a 10% increase.
So it's rare then to come across a renovation opportunity on one of the town's most popular addresses - Westbourne Road.
The street of period properties is near Penarth town centre and train station and within the catchment area of Evenlode Primary School and Stanwell Comprehensive School, according to the estate agent selling this home.
Everything about this house says space; there's space on the drive for multiple vehicles, space inside for multiple members of the family and space in the garden to extend as well as get lost, with the estate agent stating he hasn't even managed to get to the very end of the huge, west-facing outdoor space.
The front door is at the side of the house and begins the journey through the mix of period features and aspects of the house that need renovation and restoration attention.
A delightful period staircase, flooded with light from a landing window above, is also suffering some damp issues, but it's a great start to the tour as the original quarry tile flooring is still in place and, once restored, will look very special.
So which way first? The main reception room is the double fronted drawing room at the front of the house, and here's where the benefit of the side entrance is evident.
With no hall or entrance eating into the space, the room is a very generous size that spans the whole width of the house, with a duo of windows that includes a character bay, ensuring the large room enjoys large amounts of light.
The fireplace at the far end could lose the old electric fire at the front and surely gladly welcome a log burner, or maybe the original grate is hiding behind the later electrical addition?
The floorboards in this room look in good shape, although obviously they need to be checked, but if all sound and secure, how glorious they will look once sanded and sealed.
The deep skirtings, cornicing and picture rail are further original features to restore and re-love.
Behind the drawing room is the second of the three reception rooms, and it can boast its original 1920s/30s fireplace which hopefully will be kept and loved by a new owner as one of the key features of the home that gives the property its vintage essence.
The room has a delightful French door out into the garden that ensures this room is a light and inviting space too, and one that can also show you some original floorboards.
Yes, there's work to do in here too, but it's a pleasant spot to tackle any damp problems or other issues.
And here is where it gets really exciting; there's a dining room, small kitchen, pantry, larder, toilet and rear lobby at the back of this house, so which walls should stay and which walls should go to create a more sociable space?
If planning allows, can the back of the property be pushed out into that impressively sized garden?
The next room to discover is arguably the original kitchen with its quarry floor tiles and it is small, as they were back in this house building era.
Initially it seems it can only really offer more damp and a boiler that looks decades old, but look more closely and spot the lovely floor tiles and delightful panelled period doors that can boast their original door knobs and furniture - they all contribute to the essence of the home.
Help with your next hunt for a home here:
One of these doors goes to a pantry that is on many home hunters 'wish list', but if a reimagining of the rear of the house occurs there will be plenty of space to incorporate a new pantry into a new kitchen design.
At the rear there is a utility space that is an expansion of the kitchen area, housing a sink, a cooker and some cupboards, that then leads to the rear lobby, larder and toilet.
Then up the stairs, past the lovely, large window to the four bedrooms on the first floor.
All are a great size, all have some period features to offer you and all could be used for a variety of uses including a home office if downstairs is not a viable option.
There are more floorboards to revive and more fireplaces to discover, as well as built-in storage, and the picture rails and skirtings so prevalent on the ground floor continue up on this level.
There are some cracks to investigate in some corners of some rooms and again the spaces need renovating, but the potential literally oozes from each area as you wander around this home.
The bathroom set-up might divide opinion as the toilet is separate to the bath and basin.
If this is the only set up for bathing in the house then it works - who wants to be disturbed during a relaxing bubble bath by members of the family desperate to use the facilities if the toilet downstairs is engaged?
These days, most people combine the two rooms to create one large family bathroom but also make sure there are enough facilities available for the number of residents in the property, probably with the thought of that ruined relaxing soak in the back of their minds.
One unusual feature at the rear of the house is the floating bay window that the back bedroom can surprise you with.
Imagine creating a sunny window seat here as a special spot to read and daydream, looking out over the newly rescued and landscaped large rear garden.
That's after you have fully restored the whole house though - no rest for you until this lovely house has been made fabulous once more.
The house is being sold with no chain and is on the market for £575,000 with estate agent Seabreeze Homes, call the Penarth branch on 029 2070 7064 to find out more.
To get the latest email updates from WalesOnline click here
.png?w=600)
