Armed with a property-buying budget of a quarter of a million pounds, what style and size of house can you expect to view in sixteen different locations in Wales?
Is a waterside home or a house with five bedrooms and panoramic views out of the question for this amount of money?
If you're flexible on location or happy to renovate, this budget can buy you more than you might think. It can certainly stretch to a spacious and characterful home that has its own selling points.
All of these unique homes are for sale for around £250,000 and some are even under budget, leaving you enough change for renovations or a relaxing holiday after all the stress of buying a new home.
Blaenau Gwent
If you travel out of the south Wales' cities and towns and head up the Cwmtillery Valley, at the top of a mountain you are rewarded with stunning valley views that are priceless. You can actually buy this one for £250,000 in the cheapest county in Wales.
This three-bedroom semi-detached bungalow has a prime spot enjoying panoramic views of the valleys below. What a special place to sip a drink sitting on the garden terrace and looking out across the hilltops.
Not only that, it has been updated inside to offer a totally modern and stylish home for the new owner, nothing to do but turn up with your suitcases and furniture and start enjoying the views.
This home in Cwmtillery near Abertillery is on the market with online agent Housesimple for £250,000, call them on 0333 331 4226 to find out more.
Bridgend
To the north west of Bridgend in the popular village of North Cornelly, this four-bedroom detached home might entice you to spend your budget here, as you'll have £7,500 left over.
But what to do with it? Maybe a hot tub in the rear garden or a new car to park on the driveway?
Inside, this modern house offers a new owner two reception rooms, three bathrooms and four bedrooms, all with space for a family to grow and enjoy living in this location.
The house is for sale with Prestons for £242,500, give them a call on 01656 783307 to find out more.
Cardiff East
Travelling towards Newport out of the centre of Cardiff, Rumney is a popular suburb in the east where a quarter of a million pounds still gets you a good sized house, even if you might have to go slightly over-budget.
This four bedroom detached house was built in the 1980s within this distinctive development of family homes.
This warm and welcoming house has embraced the modern open-plan way of living. The living room flows into the dining room, which flows into the garden. The kitchen includes a good-sized informal eating area and also opens out into the garden.
To find out more about this home on the market for offers over £250,000, give the estate agent Allen & Harris a call at their Roath branch on 029 2046 4744.
Cardiff North
It's becoming increasingly rare to find a three bedroom house in the north Cardiff, even rarer within the highly sought after area of Llandaff.
This three bedroom terrace is on the edge of the suburb, travelling towards Fairwater, but is within walking distance of the shops and restaurants of Llandaff village and the Cathedral green.
Inside the house will need some updating and changes to bring it back to life, but the fantastic location will never change.
This home is on the market with John Williams Land and Estate Agents for £250,000, call them on 029 2055 2666 to find out more.
Cardiff West
Since the popularity of the fashionable suburb of Pontcanna has priced many out of the area and into neighbouring Canton, now this ripple effect begins to spread from Canton into Grangetown and Leckwith for anyone wanting to purchase a spacious abode.
Move even further west and there is the possibility of securing a detached house.
This three-bedroom example is close to Culverhouse Cross and includes space for up to three cars, a detached garage and an enclosed garden that includes an outdoor wood fire pizza oven.
Plus there will be £10k change from the £250,000 budget, at this home is on the market for a guide price of £240,000.
Seems there are many advantages to moving away from proximity to the city centre.
For information about this £240,000 home, contact Online Agent Cardiff on 029 2056 4732.
Ceredigion
If you locate away from the coast, cities and major towns you can get a lot of land as well as a substantial house for this price.
This four bedroom home called Erwllan, in Lledrod near Aberystwyth, needs some attention to bring it up to modern standards, but there's no denying the space it offers a new buyer on the inside, as well as the 8 acres on the outside.
At this price, is there a catch to buying the property? Only for five years.
According to the estate agent selling the property, the sale comes with an overage clause for the vendors to receive a percentage of any future development value. The clause applies for five years.
More details can be found from Aled Ellis & Co, including the guide price of £250,000, by giving them a call on 01970 626160.
Gwynedd
It's all about location with this three bed stone barn conversion for sale near Talsarnau.
From the garden there are uninterrupted and mesmerising views across the Dwyryd Estuary.
Not that a new owner will have time to appreciate the Gwynydd scenery for a while as the home, called Bryn Trefor, needs some upgrading but once completed it will be a pretty period property in a pretty perfect place.
The former farm building is for sale with Beresford Adams for £250,000, give their Porthmadog branch a call on 01766 750021 to find out more.
Merthyr Tydfil
Up another Welsh valley mountainside and another spacious home that has engaging hilltop views awaits you.
Above Merthyr Tydfil, this four-bed detached house has oodles of space as well as expansive views from the rear windows and back garden.
This mid-century house offers three large reception rooms including a spacious kitchen / breakfast room, a lounge / diner and a sitting room with access to the garden.
Throughout the home the interior design is contemporary and funky and further adds to the home's appeal.
For more information on this home that for sale for offers in the region of £249,950, call estate agent Bidmead Cook & Williams on 01685 388106.
Newport
With the tolls on the Prince of Wales Bridge now a thing of the past, Newport and the surrounding area is on the radar for people working in Bristol who are willing to commute from over the border in order to get more property for their budget.
This three-bedroom semi-detached home in the city might tempt a Bristolian over the bridge, as it offers period charm and modern style to create a very attractive home.
The rear of the home has been reconfigured with the demolition of a wall to create an open-plan kitchen / diner so popular with buyers at the moment.
The traditional semi is for sale for £250,000 with estate agent Pinkmove, give them a call on 01633 746088 to find out more.
Pembrokeshire
One of the most expensive areas of Wales is the seaside town of Tenby, especially popular with people looking for a holiday home or investment.
Now famous for its colourful sea front terraced homes and two glorious sandy beaches, surely this budget will only get you a shoe box here?
Well this house is not beachside and it doesn't have a sea view but it is a pretty cottage that epitomises the quaint seaside abode.
It might only have one bedroom, but it has been immaculately modernised and has a cute courtyard for a spot of al fresco dining in the sun.
On Upper Frog Street, the cottage is for sale for £250,000 with Birt & Co, give them a call on 01834 842204 to find out more.
Powys
The stunning rural landscape of this large county combined with its historic market towns have made it popular with many house-hunters wanting a more peaceful life and a lot more property for their pound. This home is for sale for £240,000.
This three bedroom barn conversion near Llanwrtyd Wells is in the rural heart of the county but close to the town of Builth Wells.
The home is set around a pretty courtyard and has incredible views across the Powys countryside. It may need some updating inside to make it your own style, but with such a wonderful location and the space on offer, doing some DIY will be worth it.
The barn is for sale for £240,000 with James Dean Estate Agents, call them on 01982 552537 for further details.
Rhondda Cynon Taf
More space is the advantage of travelling up one of the south Wales valleys instead of being wed to a smaller city pad.
This Tonyrefail property in the Rhondda Valley offers a new owner not only a detached house but five bedrooms to choose from too; very handy for a buyer with a lot of children or a lot of stuff.
Downstairs there's a large lounge, study, kitchen, dining room opening into the garden, utility room and a generous kitchen. Upstairs there's five bedrooms with the master benefitting from an ensuite.
Add in a family bathroom and even space for an office that could be bedroom number six and the advantages of moving out of Cardiff are obvious if space is your most important buying criteria.
Find out more about this £250,000 home by contacting the Talbot Green branch of Peter Alan on 01443 222851.
Swansea
According to the estate agent selling this attractive property in Llansamlet in Swansea, the outside space is a strong selling point with beautifully landscaped gardens with an abundance of flowers, shrubs and trees
The detached house isn't bad either! Three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs is a fairly traditional layout, but it's the ground floor that is the star of this property show.
The floorplan reveals two lounges, a dining room, an open-plan kitchen / family room, a conservatory, a utility room and a shower room, all boasting stylish decor.
This family home is on the market with No. 86 Estate Agency for offers in the region of £250,000, call them on 01792 348200 to find out more.
Vale of Glamorgan
Barry has become a rather famous location in recent years and not just because of BBC's hit TV comedy Gavin & Stacey being filmed in this Vale of Glamorgan location.
The town was recently identified by Rightmove as the hottest property spot in the UK, with the seaside town topping the property portal's chart of growth in house sellers' asking prices over the past year.
This bungalow looks pretty tidy but pretty unremarkable from the front but inside the owners have transformed the property into an incredible home.
The star of the renovation is arguably the two storey, vaulted ceiling extension at the back of the property that houses the kitchen, dining and living room that opens out onto a deck with sea views on the horizon. Gorgeous.
Call the estate agent Peter Alan at their Barry branch about this brilliant bungalow priced at £250,000 on 01446 733224.
Wrexham
In the county of Wrexham, there are a variety of new build homes on offer, but if you're looking for a home that is a bit more unique, this four bedroom detached house in New Brighton might be worth considering.
Described as being in a quiet location with far reaching views, the location and the garden is just as much a selling point as the renovated period home, that includes a newly fitted kitchen and appliances.
Just over the border from Chester as well as the facilities of Wrexham town nearby, this area is popular but can still offer a buyer with this budget a distinctive and spacious home.
This pretty house is for sale for offers in the region of £250,000 with online estate agent purplebricks, call them on 0800 810 8008 for more details.
