Houses for sale Swansea

Its location on the beautiful south coast of Wales is certainly one good reason for buying a house in Swansea.

But if you add thriving job opportunities, wide-ranging leisure activities, and attractive prices into the mix, there rapidly become many more reasons why buying a house in Swansea is so appealing.

We look at the city’s history, cultural life, geography, and development plans and get an overview from a local estate agent, before showcasing eight houses for sale in Swansea.

Swansea’s history

Wales’s second-largest city, Swansea covers Swansea Bay and the Gower Peninsula, the first area of the UK to be designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. In the 19^th century Swansea became the world’s main copper smelting area, taking in copper and other metals from as far away as Africa and Australia, earning itself the name `Copperopolis’. Mining was also a major industry, Swansea Port was thriving, exporting many goods including wool, and the area’s population expanded quickly. However, heavy industry began to decline from the late 1800s.

Swansea was targeted in the Second World War due to its industrial significance and much of the town centre was destroyed in the Swansea Blitz over three nights in February 1941. Post-war, the city has evolved to become a home for different industries, particularly the service sector economy, education, health, banking, and finance. Major employers include the DVLA headquarters, Admiral Group, HSBC, and Virgin Media. Swansea received city status in 1969 to mark Prince Charles’s investiture as Prince of Wales, and today it has a population of 314,000.

Cultural life

The city centre includes the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea Museum, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, and the largest covered market in Wales. The National Waterfront Museum showcases the industrial and maritime history of Wales. There are three grade I listed buildings: the ruins of Swansea castle dating from the 13^th and 14^th centuries, the Tabernacle Chapel in nearby Morrison, and the Guildhall, along with several grade II* listed buildings.

There’s a wealth of choice for outdoor enthusiasts, from the surfing beaches on the Gower Peninsula, where some of the best beaches in the UK are found, to sailing, water sports, adventure activities, rock climbing, coastal walks, and cycling routes.  For wildlife watchers, there are almost 20 nature reserves nearby. To the west side of Swansea Bay is the village of Mumbles with renowned seafood restaurants, ice cream parlours, and home to the Oystermouth Food Festival. Three Cliffs Bay on the Gower is a popular location for holidaymakers and is regularly voted one of the UK’s most dramatic locations; nearby Rhossili Bay is another breathtaking location with spectacular sea views. Swansea also has an airport and a marina with berths for 410 leisure boats.

The area’s geography

While much of the city is situated along the coast, specifically the Loughar Estuary, Swansea Bay, and the Bristol Channel, Swansea is surrounded by diverse scenery, including open moorland to the north to the foothills of the Black Mountains. The south Wales coalfield reaches the coast in the Swansea area and greatly influenced the growth of the city. Limestone cliffs can be seen on the Gower Peninsula, salt marshes are found on the Loughar estuary and there are numerous beautiful sandy beaches.

Development outlook

A £1 billion scheme is underway to transform the city, redeveloping the city centre to create new areas, shops, and green spaces. More houses, jobs, infrastructure, and facilities are needed while protecting Swansea’s natural heritage. A plan for sustainable development has been prepared by Swansea Council to ensure these goals are met while protecting economic, social, and cultural well-being. The Local Development Plan aims to boost investment and a wide range of job opportunities, create a business area, a City Region, as an economic hub and increase connectivity to make it easy to travel to work.

Significant population growth is anticipated over the next decade and new housing of varying types is needed in several locations to meet local needs. There is also a demand for more student accommodation from the two growing universities.

The Development Plan’s vision is to make Swansea a sought-after place to work, live in, and visit, with a vibrant centre, beautiful coastland environments, a prosperous economy, and sustainable communities. Good quality homes need to be built in sustainable communities, including villages and the urban fringe. As most of the city’s brownfield sites have been developed and because green space is needed in the centre, greenfield development will be required which must be delivered sustainably.  

Sold house prices in Swansea

Over the past year, the average house price was £195,375, according to figures from Rightmove. Semi-detached houses made up most of the sales, selling for an average price of £188,008. Detached properties averaged £314,918 and terraced houses averaged £147,285. Overall sold prices were up 3% on 2021 figures and were 17% higher than 2019’s peak price of £176,358.

Local estate agent’s view:

The relatively low price of properties compared to the rents that they can achieve is encouraging many investors to buy town centre properties as well as first-time buyers, according to Rhys Davies, branch manager of John Francis estate agent’s Swansea head office. He said:

We are selling properties for around £120,000 that can be rented out for £850 per month, which provides a very attractive yield for investors. We are very busy selling such properties to first time buyers as well as investors: we have a very big lettings department, so that’s keeping us very active.

Economically, Swansea is thriving, there are £1 billion plans to revamp the city centre, a new civic centre is being built for the council, along with hospitality areas which is all creating a lot of jobs. We also have a new sports arena. Six years ago, the city was not doing so well, but it’s improved enormously, and a lot of people are returning here. West Swansea and the suburbs are the main family areas whereas The Gower and Mumbles are always sought-after areas, where property prices are higher and never really go down.

While the market is now quieter compared to the rest of this year, I would say we are entering a more normalised market and although interest rates have risen, they are really just more normal when compared to what we have become used to recently.

Here’s our selection of eight properties for sale in Swansea across a wide price range

This two-bedroom middle terraced house close to the city centre could make a great investment property. It’s in need of renovation and is for sale at £79,950 with Astley’s estate agents in Swansea. The house, on Colbourne Terrace, is close to transport links, schools, and shops. It has an open plan living room, dining room, and kitchen, two bedrooms, and a shower room upstairs. Steps lead to a small garden at the front and there’s a rear courtyard with steps to an enclosed garden.

With a guide price of £150,000, this three-bedroom semi-detached family home on Lydford Avenue, St Thomas, is in a convenient location, close to public transport links, the universities, and Swansea Bay. It’s spacious inside, having two reception rooms and a kitchen with the bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor. Outside there’s a frontage area and a tiered rear garden. It has gas central heating and is double-glazed. The estate agents are Peter Alan in Swansea.

Spectacular sea views overlooking Swansea Bay and the marina can be enjoyed from this two-bedroom apartment at St Christopher’s Court in the Maritime Quarter. This desirable residential location is close to bars, restaurants, and the city centre. It’s fitted out to a superb standard and has an open-plan lounge/fitted kitchen/dining area, a bathroom, and a balcony from which to enjoy the impressive vistas. This apartment would make a great investment property. There are 125 years on the lease (from 1.2.2005). The annual ground rent is £100, and the annual service charge is £1522. It’s for sale for offers over £250,000 with Peter Alan estate agents.

If you’re looking for a great family home with plenty of space, this detached four-bedroom house at Clos Sant Teilo, Llangyfelach could fit the bill. It’s priced at offers over £385,000 and has three reception rooms, a kitchen-diner, two conservatories, and two bathrooms on the first floor. There is also a balcony and an enclosed rear garden. It’s being sold through Peter Alan’s Morriston office.

A beautiful kitchen-dining room with a wooden floor is a great feature of this impressive, four bedroom detached family home on Borough Road, Loughor, a popular location close to the city centre. It’s decorated to a superb standard and has a sitting room with a log burner to the side of the kitchen, two separate reception rooms, and a utility room. On the first floor, there are four double bedrooms, three with en-suite bathrooms, and a family bathroom. There is a parking area for several cars, along with a detached garage, a summerhouse, and an enclosed garden. It’s for sale with Peter Alan, priced at £575,000.

Close to Swansea Bay foreshore stands this former stable block to the nearby farmhouse. Owls Lodge Lane, Myals, Abertawe, is a four bedroom detached family home with masses of scope. It’s beautifully presented and the accommodation includes a reception hall, lounge, snug, mezzanine, study, cloakroom, kitchen, conservatory, dining room, and utility room on the ground floor. All of the bedrooms are on the first floor along with a family bathroom. Outside, there’s a front courtyard and an enclosed rear garden. This is a rare opportunity to buy a unique family home in the Welsh countryside and the estate agent John Francis is asking for offers of £750,000.

In the popular Mayals area, one of the most desirable residential locations situated around Swansea, this four bedroom detached family home has substantial dimensions and is decorated to a superb standard. This is an extremely rare opportunity to buy a house on Mayals Road, a breathtaking location that overlooks Swansea Bay. This house has a beautiful garden, off-road parking, and a garage. It’s for sale with Purplebricks for offers over £900,000.

Lots of possibilities for anyone with equestrian interests are presented with the sale of The Meadows Farm, Gorseino, a wonderful hidden gem in the Welsh countryside. This is a rare opportunity to buy a four-bedroom detached house, two cottages, and stables, all set on four acres. The main house is beautifully presented and includes a bespoke kitchen and two bathrooms. As well as the two cottages there is planning consent for two park homes. There is also a double garage, a summer house/office, a block of six stables, a tack room, and two paddocks. This pleasantly positioned property is for sale with Peter Alan estate agents, for offers in the region of £1,325,000.

Local knowledge

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