Some properties can rightly claim to be truly unique, maybe in their design or they have a historic past that runs through every brick and stone in every room.
For some homes it's the location that can bring the property firmly into the unique category, from a coastal abode with a sweeping sea view to a house nestled within a remote corner of the countryside.
One cottage in Pembrokeshire can claim all three of this trio of elements that when combined makes it a home that can never be replicated.
READ MORE: Beautiful dream home right on the coast with panoramic sea views from a secluded headland
Called Pier Cottage, this tasty combination of design, history and location has captivated owners in its past, but they have had to find it first before they could fall in love with it.
So sometimes to find your dream home, you need some help from friends and family.
And this is especially the case when finding Pier Cottage, as it is tucked away below a few other buildings and hardly visible from the quiet dead-end street above. It is visible from ships and boats travelling along one of Wales' most famous estuaries though, as the house is embedded into the rock right next to the sparkling water.
Caroline Summons, age 41 and from Milford Haven became a home match maker when she discovered Pier Cottage and did her version of a property Tinder match - she introduced her mother to Pier Cottage over 21 years ago and if it had been on property Tinder, she definitely would have swiped right - it was instant attraction.
Caroline says: "She hadn't seen the property for sale, it was me that pointed the cottage out and she fell in love with it instantly due to the uniqueness and wonderful views."
The views are completely uninterrupted because the cottage almost overhangs the water, partially built into the rock of the shore line with two-metre thick reinforced concrete.
It's an absolutely unique position to call home but it's no accident to find this historic house hugging the water because a rummage around in its past reveals its location was key to its construction.
Caroline says: "It was a toll cottage in the 1800s for foot passengers entering Milford Haven, for which they paid an entrance fee. They also paid for high tea in the large building next door which was a hotel.
"There even used to be a trap door in the hallway of the cottage where the washing from the hotel next door would be flung, passing it downstairs to be laundered.
"In old photos and newspaper cuttings you will see a wooden pier where boats used to pull up and let passengers off. Hence the name, Pier Cottage."
Inside the cottage, Caroline's mother has framed and hung some of these past images and references to the history of the cottage.
One of these fascinating insights into the home's past reads: "In the 1850s Colonel Greville built this 750ft wooden pier from the cliffs between Milford Beach and Scotch Bay. It has a toll house and a hotel and was connected with Hamilton Terrace by Pier Road."
In these old photos the hotel is clearly visible and it looks as though it still remains as homes, situated along the cul-de-sac that sees Pier Cottage located at the end.
And it is a most enviable position, lower than the road so anyone visiting nearby homes are unlikely to know Pier Cottage exists, unless they see the chimneys peeping over the wall.
Caroline says there has been a lot of work done to the cottage over the last two decades to increase its footprint and make the most of the obviously amazing location. These include landscaping the garden and extending the kitchen.
But it's making the most of the views that has been the core objective of the changings and adding glass bay windows has been an inspired decision.
Due to great design, the bay in the master bedroom seems to protrude out over the water, with mesmerising views on three sides thanks to the use of floor-to-ceiling windows, and this design is replicated in the adjacent living room.
Arguably the most wonderful of the additions to the cottage is the balcony area found between the bedroom bay and the bay window in the lounge.
Accessed via a door in the lounge bay, this private, sunny balcony boasts a patio that also has glass panels so nothing gets in the way of that spectacular view and you don't fall off and onto the rocks below.
There are plenty of other places to be fully and happily absorbed into the view at Pier Cottage, from the spacious conservatory accessed from the kitchen diner and the lounge, to the arched window in the second bedroom
Outside there are plenty of spots to get comfortable and watch the ships trundle past and the water based wildlife hurry about their daily business too.
Even though the garden has amazing, panoramic views from the lawn, maybe the optimum area is the terrace that runs along the waterfront - plenty of space here for everyone to pull up a chair and enjoy the sunshine accompanied by the sights and sounds of the estuary.
Caroline says: "It is a peaceful, calming and relaxing spot. Hearing children playing on the beach in the evening and the waves lapping whilst sitting admiring the view of the waterway with forever activities on the water from the local yacht clubs.
"However, the winter months can be a different story but equally as engaging; loud, roaring waves, fog horns and the spray from the waves crashing over the conservatory and into the garden."
You access this wonderful waterside abode through double gates and then steps that take you onto a sunny decked walkway, reminiscent of the pier that once stood next to the cottage, and overlooking the very pretty walled garden, constantly accompanied by the water views.
The estate agent auctioning the house states that there is a garage, accessed from the roadway beside the entrance gates with another access door inside the property boundary, plus an allocated parking space by the roadside. There is also a built-in shed at the end of the garden, ideal for storing garden tools.
Into the cottage on the ground floor and a central hall that immediately gives you a glimpse of the water directly from the welcome mat via the lounge bay window at the far end of the property.
To the right is a spacious and modern kitchen diner that leads via glass double doors into the conservatory.
Although the kitchen has ample room for a table and chairs, it's probably the dining area in this bonus garden room that wins almost every time as the best place to enjoy your breakfast cornflakes, rewarding you with huge water views on two sides.
There's an extra bonus here too, with a cute additional glass window encased room - surely a fabulous reading nook, that also gives you access to the waterside garden terrace.
There's a separate dining room opposite the kitchen that is currently being used as a snug and understandably so, as it has a generous log burner nestled into a characterful fireplace with large wooden mantle above.
The living room at the water view side of the cottage also has a fireplace, plus ceiling and wall beams that can be seen in a number of rooms, old and new, that keep the character going through the property.
The living room has access to that quiet, waterside balcony via its special glass filled bay area and it's additions like the balcony at this property that really elevates it into the dream home bracket.
Into the ensuite bedroom next to the living room and there's another claim for a perfect reading nook, or maybe the best spot for a dressing table, within this room's glass bay window.
Down the central stairs to the hallway on the lower ground floor, and this room can show you its vintage via ceiling and wall beams, white-washed stone walls and the cutest of fireplaces nestled into one of the walls.
This space is generous so it could easily accommodate a home office area if working from home by the water is something you want or need to do.
There's another large bedroom down here plus a four piece bathroom with roll-top bath. There's also a quirky, separate shower built into the wall that is pretending to be a red phone box, illustrating the current owners' playful personality when it comes to interior design.
Throughout the house the owners' have made this cottage their own personal sanctuary and it will be a lot of fun for a new owner to decide how they want to make the decor reflect their own personality and taste.
But this lower level can offer you maybe the most engaging feature within the whole house, apart from the view and the multiple ways to enjoy it.
There are four delightful porthole windows that pay homage to the location and former use of this cottage, one in the bathroom, two in the central hall and one in the bedroom on the side wall.
They all open and they all provide fabulous circular views almost at water level - you almost feel like you're on a boat bobbing along the estuary.
Into the second bedroom and this room also makes the most of the location via a charming arched window that perfectly frames the water and sky scape outside.
Caroline says the whole family are going to miss the history and character of the house and how it is situated into the rocks, but knows the next owner will equally fall in love with Pier Cottage and enjoy all the unique things it can offer you as a home.
She says: "We love where it is situated, I don't think I know of any houses built into the rocks."
Pier Cottage is being sold via virtual auction with West Wales Finest Properties with a guide price of £395,000 which ends on Monday, May 18 at noon. The home can be viewed by appointment only on Friday May and Friday May 13 at 4pm, call the estate agent on 01267 236 655 to find out more including the fees attached to buying the cottage. And if you never want to miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent out to your inbox twice a week.
