To think there are areas in South Wales we should avoid?

[Vexed80]

Not really an AIBU but wasn't sure where else to post and could do with the traffic. I currently live in the North of England with my DH and 4 kids (eldest two in their 20s). I have been offered the potential of a promotion that will mean a huge wage increase but it means a move to South Wales. I don't really know the area at all but looking at sites like Zoopla and Rightmove, it looks like property is pretty cheap (in comparison to where we are). Starting to panic that it's because the areas are not great? Can anyone give me advice on any areas I should avoid or am I just being ridiculous?? TIA!!

Oh and I'd agree with the general rule of thumb of keeping south of the M4!

I live in Neath and you would get something for your budget here. There are some ok areas like Bryncoch, Cadoxton. Close to M4 and Heads of the Valleys road, so easy access further west and to commute east.

@20Holly147 There's a medium sized supermarket in Usk!

Vexed if your main priority is the schools then you may want to look at this sort of house in Crickhowell. The schools are excellent honestly .
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64394340.html

The Swansea valley is basically in the middle of South Wales and you could deffo get something decent for £250k. Pontardawe is a nice town and the schools are pretty good too and easy reach to m4

I can recommend Cowbridge as I lived there for a while. Good links on the bus/ roads to Cardiff and not far from the beach or countryside. Was a lovely village.

If he now lives there, anywhere near Ryan Giggs.

I used to live in South Wales. A lot of the cheap towns are actually very nice but it can take a long time to get to the main cities such as Cardiff or Swansea so for that reason the aren't very popular and prices are low. So it depends really on where you need to work and how much travelling you need to do.

Hi OP,

As a native I’d avoid the valleys. The people are lovely but the poverty there is rife. I own a home in Cwmdare (a village in Aberdare) which is probably one of the nicest parts of Rhondda Cynon Taff. I went to a really good all girls school when I was younger but all that has been abolished and now there are super schools which are schools I’d never send my children to, ever. Aberdare is fine but it’s too far away from the City and the schools are not good.

I also own property in Merthyr which I rent out to people I work with. The Welsh Assembly Government has pumped money in to the area so it’s definitely more up and coming than it once was and has easy access to Cardiff. If I had a choice I’d choose Merthyr over Aberdare. Schools are ok.

Penarth would be my first choice. It’s one of the most expensive places to live though but schools are very good. Llanishen and Rhiwbina in Cardiff are also lovely areas with fantastic state and private schools.

Hope we helped V 😀

I live in Abergavenny and was born & bred in Crickhowell. The prices of property here are high .The valleys are much cheaper but honestly not very nice

I’m pretty sure that people from the valleys (which is a VERY broad term and covers many very lovely areas, actually) could counter that and say Abergavenny/Crickhowell are a bit snobby...
(Notice I said ‘could’!!).
Honestly, some places in the South Wales valleys are really nice places to live.

I live in newport and I will be totally honest I defo would not move here newport on the whole is quite rough cardiff is nice though

We looked at Wales about 3 years ago. Similar circ.s to you OP; big age range in kids, needed 4 bedrooms.

From reading this thread it's clear we looked far too far North of the M4. Ebbw Vale area. We were actually shocked tbh, and it was very sad to see how totally run down the once thriving little communities are now. All surrounded by such beautiful scenery as well!

Bridgend. I mean, it's not absolutely the nicest town in the world, but it's fine, and it's near to amazing beaches and it's easy to get to.

@ Laiste I can imagine! Ebbw Vale and surrounds are beautiful, but on the whole terribly deprived. The community spirit and heart of the people is wonderful, but the places are on the whole visibly impoverished.

There is a lot of snobbery Alikane admittedly. The inhabitants of the valleys are known colloquially as 'Toppers' in Monmouthshire .
l wouldn't buy a house in any of the areas mentioned because to me the areas are not very nice. They are not what l want in a home. However l am no snob, if you had been born & bought up in beautiful Crick then you wouldn't want to live in Nantyglo either .

Penarth is lovely and the schools have an excellent reputation. Nothing at your budget, but there’s these between it and £300000
houses

I do understand where you’re coming from, Mrsmadevans - the Crickhowell area is undeniably beautiful (and my kids were born in Abergavenny). And now I’m going to sound like a snob but some places really are a lot nicer than Nantyglo!!

Penarth, Rhoose, llantwit major and cowbridge are all very lovely!

DH is from just outside Bridgend so we spend quite a bit of time there. I think it’s perfectly placed. Cardiff and Swansea are easy to get to by train and car. Porthcawl is just down the road, Sker beach, Rest Bay, Ogmore, Newton Beach and Aberavon beaches are beautiful. Cowbridge is close by. There’s a McArthur Glen outlet centre, cinema and Sainsburys at Sarn, Margam Park is beautiful, Kenfig nature reserve (although that’s currently up in the air) is lovely. There are some flipping lovely pubs and restaurants and everywhere you look, there is a view. Broadlands, parts of Kenfig Hill, South Cornelly are all places I’d happily live.

The downsides are that the town centre is dying and seems worse every time we go and buses are expensive (more than the south east, which is where we live).

DH says he wouldn’t want to live in Merthyr, Maesteg, Ael-y-Bryn, Port Talbot or Mountain Ash.

AllikaneErikson, if l wasn't so settled where l am & DH agreed, l would go back to Crick in a shot .

Following from PP- Broadlands is lovely! And there's a new estate in Bridgend called Parc Derwin which is right next to the motorway and Mcarthur glen!

The knap, outside of Barry is lovely
My cousin has just sold her duplex with stunning sea view to move back to the Vale of Glamorgan
I think she’s mad, but sphere wants a garden
You get a lot of traffic on that port road and culverhouse cross roundabout
Love Cardiff though..butwould prefer to live where she lives

I agree with you sorry

Depends what you want really. In monmouthshire, if you want a little bit suburban, you've got places like Monmouth, abergavenny, chepstow, caldicot. More rural, usk, tintern, trellick, shirenewton. Some beautiful places, though some of those areas you would be pushed to get a 4 bed for that price, you might still find something.

I’m from a coastal town in the north of England and the knap/ Barry ticks a lot of boxes...would stay away from Barry town though

There just seems to be one main round up the valleys though and it gets really busy.

Just a warning..Cardiff allegedly gets the most rain fall for a city in the uk