Finding a former farmstead nestled within the beautiful Welsh countryside away from the noise and chaos of urban life is becoming increasingly difficult, especially now that many property experts say that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way many people feel about where they live and how they live.
Hunting down a remote escape to the country is now top of more people's house hunting list and if you want to find one that offers land, outbuildings and the potential to add value by embarking on a renovation project, the likelihood of finding exactly what you want becomes even smaller.
Another factor against you is the situation that many former farmhouses and country homesteads are handed down through families, so they have been off the market for many decades, so when and if they do come to market they are marketed as a once in a generation opportunity.
Enter onto the marketplace this charming, traditional five bed former farmhouse thought to date back to the early 1700s, hidden in the Carmarthenshire countryside. Located in a gently elevated position in the upper Towy river valley, the location offers absorbing countryside valley views of rolling hills, patchwork of paddocks and dense woodland.
This idyllic location, an island of utter tranquillity embedded in nature, surely explains why this home has not been on the market for over 100 years, according to the estate agent. The property comes with a 23 acre slice of rural Welsh heaven that extends down to the Towy riverbank.
The land is predominantly a mix of level meadows and sloping pastureland that can offer a new owner the chance to raise stock and grow produce. And as the river that winds its way through the land it brings with it private fishing rights, so dinner can be a good mix of food provided by the land and the water.
If going out to dinner is wanted as an option too, meandering down the quiet country lanes will get you to the small village of Rhandirmwyn which has two pubs. The popular rural town of Llandovery is about nine miles away which can offer a range of social venues as well as facilities such as doctor surgery, cottage hospital, schools and a college, and even a public swimming pool.
But who would want to leave the area around the farmstead unless they had to - it is a very special property wrapped up in rural relaxation. The estate agent is clearly and understandably smitten, stating that the upper Towy valley is a largely unspoilt landscape with a rich cultural history, vibrant natural beauty and bursting with wildlife - ideal for bird watching, hill walking and other country pursuits.
The claim is that the upper Towy valley is one of the few remote areas left not just in south Wales but in southern Britain and maybe it's hard not to argue with that, as this peaceful spot feels like a step back through the decades to less hectic times, at least when the day of farming was done.
But for the new owner there will probably be some hectic times in their immediate future, as the five bed house and the attractive detached stone barn in the garden are in need of renovation and conversion respectively.
So it's tool belt time for one and planning application time for the other - but at the end of the renovation project, surely the ultimate escape to the country dream home and possible onsite holiday let or granny annexe will have been created.
The house is a great place to start the work, with thick stone walls, exposed beams, flagstone floors and a fabulous inglenook fireplace all setting the character backdrop that a dream home inside a traditional rural farmhouse requires.
The ground floor offers a small kitchen off the main living room, which can boast that delightful inglenook fireplace. This living room then leads into a second reception room on the opposite side of the central hall, and this potential dining room also has a fireplace to gather around and enjoy a winter's evening toasty and warm next to the flames.
At the rear, next to the kitchen, is the only bathroom in the house, and then at the far end of the property, you will find a single-storey extension that houses two bedrooms and a handy cloakroom next to them. This extra 'wing' of this abode is an unorthodox addition as it cannot be accessed from the main house - only by its own exterior front door.
It is handy to have this extra space but maybe in the renovation project plans a connecting door between this wing and the main house could be incorporated into the design, or maybe this space could remain its own, separate accommodation and be morphed into a self-contained annexe.
But there are plenty of options for extra accommodation at this property, with three bedrooms on the first floor of the main house plus an attached former solid stone outbuilding that has six former cow stalls and a loft space above it when the property was a working farm.
With planning consent this extra building could be absorbed into the main house for even more space - maybe a stunning kitchen diner where all the family and many friends could gather and socialise where six cows used to reside. The current kitchen could then be freed up to be used as a utility room and boot room.
But the land also offers even more buildings that could become something very special with planning consent. The main and most attractive one is a stone, detached barn that could be transformed into so many different uses. Maybe a new home for a different generational level of the family, the best media room or garden den in the area, or a holiday let - who wouldn't want to come and stay at this beautiful rural location?
According to the estate agent, there's also a Dutch barn with lean-to that could also be investigated as extra accommodation but is probably more useful as ample storage space and potentially a wonderful garden summerhouse.
The agent states that this freehold property package will have vacant possession upon completion and has mains electricity, private water and drainage, and the central heating is provided by oil fired boiler serving radiators.
This wonderful opportunity to create your dream home nestled in the stunning Carmarthenshire countryside costs £500,000 and obviously requires a renovation budget too, but after budget spend and hard work, the rural smallholding dream will be complete.
The former farmstead is on the market with estate agent Clee Tompkinson & Francis, call their Brecon branch on 01874 622488 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.
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