New lease of life for derelict Welsh farm

What may well be the cheapest house in North Wales is scheduled to be sold at auction on 20 July.

Any potential buyers would need be prepared to take on a substantial amount of work, however. “Penrallt”, a stone-built, two-bedroom former farmhouse, is derelict, with boarded-up windows, what looks like a substantial hole in its slate-covered roof, and walls overgrown with vegetation.

Located in the rural hamlet of Maenaddwyn, Anglesey, the property, which also includes two outbuildings and a large garden, has lain vacant for many years.

There are more than 22,000 long-term empty properties in Wales, a situation described by Welsh Climate Change Minister Julie James as “a wasted housing resource that can become a blight on our communities”.

Earlier this year the Welsh Government unveiled its National Empty Homes Grant scheme. Scheduled to run for two years, the £50m project aims to bring back into use 2,000 long-term empty properties.

The scheme offers up to £25,000 to homeowners or prospective homeowners to help them remove “significant hazards” from their properties to make them safe to live in and improve their energy efficiency.

To qualify for the cash, the property must have been registered as empty with the local authority for a minimum of 12 months prior to work beginning. Once the works are done, the applicant must live in the property as their main and only residence for at least five years.

Owner-occupiers, registered social landlords, local authorities and community housing groups can access the funding for empty properties they are acquiring to bring back into use as affordable housing.

Penrallt is due to be sold at auction at Langefni town hall, Angelsey, on 20 July. There are more details on property website Rightmove.