If you're willing to do some work, compromise maybe on space or ideal location, or get lucky with the bidding at the next property auction you can get a house rather than a flat across Wales for £130,000 or under.
So armed with a budget of around £150,000 – to give you some budget towards renovation – and not including legal fees and the cost of buying a home what can Wales offer if you are determined to secure a house?
You may still have to buy as a couple or as shared ownership depending on the price.
But if you are successful in your bid at least a house should give you more space to call your own plus the possibility of renting out a room to help pay the mortgage.
There are some houses currently on the market for far less than £130,000 but the very cheapest homes can sometimes be cash only so you are competing against investors to bag the property.
Or there may be a catch like a short lease, a non-standard construction, or fire damage not obvious just from looking at the outside of the house that may prohibit an easy sale or raising a mortgage. So don't be fixated on the lower price as you need to do your research.
From the estimated renovation costs to street ceiling price, mortgage possibilities to potential to add value, from the standard of the location to the possible resale value when it comes to buying a house price is just the beginning.
Newport: £35,000+
At this price for a house in one of Wales' cities there has to be a catch and with this one it is that the property is leasehold.
It has been let on a 99-year lease from 1933 with only 10 years remaining. The auction house states that there is potential to sell a long lease extension to the buyer but for how much extra budget is unclear.
That means most likely cash buyers only for this one so checking out the legal documents of this property before attending the online auction is imperative.
The property is a three-bed semi on a corner plot that the auction house estimates has a vacant value of around £160,000 but a potential buyer should do their own research on this point.
The house is for sale on Thursday, February 24 starting at 10am via auction which will be conducted behind closed doors.
The auction will be live-streamed online with remote bidding only. Registration for bidding will close at 12pm the day before the auction. For further details contact SDL property auctions on 0161 774 7333.
Swansea: £40,000+
Another low-priced house in a city means another property to look at with your eyes wide open and a budget to match the work required.
This two-bedroom mid-terrace is in need of total refurbishment due to fire damage so it probably needs some specialist renovation work to restore it into a habitable home. It also means most likely another house for cash buyers only.
The house is going to auction for a guide of £40,000 with Astleys Residential, on Tuesday, March 22 at 3pm at The Village Hotel, Fabian Way, Swansea. Call Astleys on 01792 655891 to find out more.
Carmarthenshire: £45,000+
Step back in time to mainly the 1930s at this amazing 'frozen in time' three-bed semi in Llanelli.
There are decorative features and original stairs in the hall and original fireplaces in the three reception rooms and there may be some to be uncovered in the bedrooms too.
There's a ceiling rose, coving, and a big bay window in the front 'fanciest' room aiming to impress visitors back in the day and built-in alcove cupboards in the dining room that would look stunning when sanded down to the original wood.
As with many homes from the era the kitchen is smaller and found at the rear but could be combined with the third reception room adjacent to it.
However there is a solid wall with fireplace and chimney breast in the way so maybe just opening up the space on either side would create a broken-plan layout that would still work as a sociable kitchen diner space.
The bathroom is downstairs, off the kitchen, but if you want to 'spend a penny' you'll have to find your shoes and coat as the toilet is outside in the garden.
There's the original pantry still in place next to the inside bathroo, so if you can bear to get rid of that current 'on trend' kitchen accessory the toilet could be welcomed inside.
The house with oodles of potential where time stood still is for sale with a guide price of £45,000 but is likely to sell for more.
It is going to online auction with bidding opening at noon on Monday, February 21, and closing at noon on Tuesday, February 22. Call Dawsons Swansea on 01792 925787 to find out more and for the legal pack.
See more amazing 'frozen in time' properties for sale here.
Swansea: £69,000+
This end of terrace in the Morriston area of Swansea has been extended on the ground floor to provide a generous lounge and kitchen.
There's also a second reception room that could also be used as another bedroom or a home office.
Upstairs there are two bedrooms and a refurbished shower room and outside the property can offer a rear garden as well as a front garden that could be ideal for off-street parking.
The house is going to auction with a guide price of £69,000 but could go for more with All Wales Auction, Cardiff. on Wednesday March 9. Call 0800 905 905 to find out more.
Rhondda Cynon Taf: £70,000
This cottage is a surprising abode – flanked by two large buildings it looks tiny, and it is quite wee, but it is also a bit of a Tardis property.
There are somehow two bedrooms and two reception rooms and a full-size bathroom too inside this little lovely.
The cottage is actually well-located for local facilities with the main road through Hirwaun at one end of the street and access to the Heads of the Valleys road just around two corners.
The weekly shop is just next door in the Co-op and the cottage has a front and back garden to add to its surprisingly spacious internal space – at least for a cottage.
It's been renovated inside so nothing much to spend here but it is offered as probably a cash-only purchase due to its proximity to commercial premises that makes it unsuitable for mortgage purposes.
It's not going to be the most comfortable of houses for anyone over six foot either.
The cottage is going to GOTO online auction with starting bids from £70,000. Call Purplebricks on 0800 810 8008 to find out more about this method of purchasing and the property itself. See more rooms inside here.
Powys: £75,000
It may be small but this delightful stone cottage is big on character and just waiting for a first-time buyer to bring their vision and a renovation budget to the address.
The home is an old foundry cottage built in about 1860 in the popular Powys town of Llanidloes. Its historical importance means it comes with a Grade II listing.
Through the attractive royal blue front door into the reception room and it's a good-sized space waiting for you with possible potential to add a log burner or character fireplace as a charming central feature.
Who knows, there might even be something special hiding behind the plaster – might be worth a look?
Into the kitchen at the rear and it is compact but it is also somewhat quirky – the staircase is taking up a lot of space and even stops the door from opening properly.
The estate agent selling this sweet and charming abode says there is an opportunity to reconfigure the accommodation with maybe a consideration to put the staircase back into the living room.
The cottage is Grade II listed so obviously consent would be needed for any changes to the structure of the house.
Out into a shared courtyard that's private to the rest of the world, if not to the neighbours, but the house has a small front garden if sitting out in the sun is something that a new owner longs for.
Upstairs there's a good-sized main bedroom and the agent suggests, with listed building consent, the redundant airing cupboard and tiny second room up here could be merged to create a second single bedroom or home office.
The bathroom is generous enough to accommodate a bath. The cottage is being sold with no forward chain.
The cottage is for sale with a guide price of £75,000 with agents Morris Marshall & Poole. Contact their Llanidloes office on 01686 412567 to find out more.
Gwynedd: £80,000
An ideal blank canvas for a first time buyer this two-bed mid terrace house has potential oozing out of every room.
It might be a full renovation project to drag it into the present, and maybe keep some of the classic retro features, but the space on offer is very tempting.
Downstairs there is one large reception room with a feature stone fireplace. Maybe lose the decades-old gas fire but the chimney breast itself could influence the next chosen interior design scheme.
If Scandi is a consideration for the decor this stone feature could easily be the starting place rather than relocating it to a skip. See how it could look here.
The kitchen has space to include a compact dining area once redesigned and replaced.
Maybe painting the wood wall panels rather than ripping them off and having to replaster may be the cheaper option and arguably more in keeping with the Scandi theme too should this be the decor of choice for the new owner.
The two bedrooms upstairs are both doubles and the bathroom is spacious too boasting a rarely-seen burnt orange shade from the 1960s.
Plus the location is not at all a compromise. The house is tucked away along a quiet residential lane and only a few minutes walk from the marina, waterfront, and centre of this popular Gwynedd coastal town.
The terrace with the terrific potential is on the market for £80,000 with Tom Parry estate agents. Call the Porthmadog branch on 01766 512505 to find out more.
Pembrokeshire: £100,000+
If you can push the budget upwards then this amazing Georgian four-bed townhouse might be within your financial reach.
There is work to be done here, but the reward will be a stunning character home on a pretty street within walking distance of Haverfordwest's town centre and the nearby river Cleddau.
It's been a popular road to call home for centuries with the first actual map reference to Goat Street dating back to 1690.
At this beautiful blue abode there are high ceilings, original bay windows, three floors plus an attic room, and views across the town's rooftops from the upper floors.
There's space inside then and the potential to restore, revive, and add to the interiors.
But outside there's a large garden that also oozes charm too with stone walls and trees and shrubs that guide you to the very end which is surprisingly far away as the garden is as substantial as the house.
The agent says despite requiring some remedial works the property offers a wonderful opportunity for modernising and updating into a fine period home and few would argue with that.
The house is for sale for offers in excess of £100,000 with RK Lucas & Son. Call the Haverfordwest branch on 01437 762538 to find out more.
Help with your hunt for a home here:
Cardiff: £110,000+
It's slim pickings in the capital city if you want a house with this budget. The choice is pretty much non-existent so location comes as a secondary priority if the budget is set and as it's going to auction it may sell for even more.
If location in the city is key then the budget is going to have to go up or the expectations of a house are going to have to change to a flat.
This mid-terrace property in Adamsdown is in need of complete renovation so will keep a new owner busy for a while.
The property briefly comprises a hallway, sitting room, dining room, and a separate kitchen.
Climb the stairs and you will find two double bedrooms and a large bathroom. If you wanted a third bedroom there may be a way to cleverly reconfigure the space to allow it by stealing space from other rooms.
Outside there is a rear garden which is currently overgrown so once the renovation inside is done it's time to find the strimmer and the spade to tackle the outside.
Having previously been listed as leasehold the auction house states it is now freehold and going under the hammer with a guide price of £110,000 on Tuesday, February 22, at 4pm via the Seel and Co website. Call them on 029 2037 0117 to find out more.
Newport: £120,000+
This three-bed mid-terrace house is in an ideal location according to the estate agent. It's not in the city centre but walking distance to it and close to Spytty Retail Park too.
It's ideal for commuting if work takes you outside the city with road and rail links nearby.
But you might want to stay put and enjoy the character inside this home as much as you can with the front living room in particular a charming space to relax.
The exposed stone wall, wood block floor, and a feature fireplace combine to create a cosy space.
The ground floor also offers a separate dining room and kitchen that could be extended or combined to make a more sociable space.
There's a rear garden with a private patio, three bedrooms, and an upstairs bathroom and all are a good size and there's also scope here to bring your own interior design style in through the front door and make it your own.
The house is on the market for offers in excess of £120,000 with Number One Real Estate, Newport. Call 01633 492777 to find out more.
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