Approach this boarded up terraced house in the south Wales valleys and it’s hard to know what awaits you inside.
The front of the house looks in relatively good order for a property going to auction.
Arguably the guttering looks like it could do with some attention and maybe the facade would benefit from a lick of paint, but overall, it appears to be a typical example of an auction property in need of some modernisation.
The house in Blaenrhondda is going to auction for a guide price of £17,000 so it is expected that renovation work will be required, but how much exactly?
The boards on the windows look sun-bleached and windswept, like they have been in place for a number of years, so how long has this Rhondda Valleys property been empty? More than 40 years, according to the auction house selling the two to three bed property.
And when you push the front door open and venture inside it becomes clear that the property may be empty of an occupant but it is certainly not empty.
All of the home’s contents are still in place.
From a dated sofa in front of an ancient television to carpets and wallpaper dating back decades, this house is a fascinating step back in time.
Before entering the house there are original features to notice and admire before the rooms stuffed with vintage furniture and past interior design demand your full attention.
In the entrance porch there is a panel of beautiful Victorian tiles either side of the front door depicting flowers and fruit.
Most buyers taking on a house that has not touched for decades will hope they discover plenty of original features that have not been ripped out during decades of fluctuating interior trends.
And luckily many of the original features in this house have survived any changes in decor fashion and have not been rehoused at the bottom of a skip.
Delightful wall tiles are joined by a beautiful stripped wood inner hall door featuring a frosted glass panel.
It’s hard not to notice the sight of classic Minton floor tiles stretching out along the hall, in parallel to the dado rail.
There may be more original features to discover, like original floorboards desperate to be sanded and restored, but it is hard to know among the abandoned contents within the rest of the house.
The layout of the house, as far as can be seen, is two reception rooms, a kitchen and a rear room (presumably the current bathroom on the ground floor). There’s also two or three bedrooms upstairs – depending on where a new owner wants to put the bathroom.
The front reception room, once revived, will have light flooding into the space when the boarding is off the large window that looks out over the mountain top opposite.
An original 1930s fireplace is the central vintage feature from that particular era and a characterful aspect of the house that could be retained.
Into the rear reception room and the space is a little easier to ascertain.
The former occupants’ sofa, armchair and television remain, as does the 1970s decor – including stone effect wallpaper and tassel lampshades.
Again there is a fireplace lurking behind the now defunct gas unit, probably dating back to the 1920s or 30s.
The window in the corner will one day soon welcome light back into the room and a new owner may even replace the window with a door out onto the garden and the beautiful views of the valley outside.
Squeeze past an old sideboard and then into the kitchen. Here the journey becomes more treacherous as much of the ceiling has come down and is now part of the floor.
A vintage 1930s kitchen unit has survived the structural incident, as has another tiled fireplace.
Through the door at the back is presumably a toilet facility at the rear of the house and access to the garden.
At the top of the stairs is a widow that reveals lovely views of the mountains at the back of the property.
Upstairs the three bedrooms are certainly doubles, as there is a double bed in each plus substantial bedroom furniture.
One of these bedrooms could become an upstairs bathroom or a new owner could steal some space from two rooms and create a compact shower room without sacrificing a room.
Throughout the house there are signs of the property taking a battering from nature over the years.
Signs of damp and crumbling plaster suggests the property is in need of a full renovation, from the roof and guttering at the top to a cure for damp at the bottom. However once done, this could prove a very homely abode.
Outside, there is a garden waiting to be saved from the overgrown weeds.
Once cleared, the views surrounded by beautiful mountain tops will make the hard work more than worth it.
Imagine a sunny Sunday morning brunch or a summer evening BBQ on a patio terrace in this little slice of the valleys.
Auctioneers initially surveying the property prior to sale were astonished by what they saw inside.
Sean Roper, who is handling the sale for Paul Fosh Auctions said: “Going into the house is like stepping back in time.
“It’s as if the previous owners just closed the front door and left with everything almost as they had left it forty years ago. The decor and groovy wall paper harks back to the sixties and seventies.
Sean added: “But it can’t just be opened up and moved into by new owners as there is a fair bit of work that needs to be done to bring it up to modern standards.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for someone with imagination to acquire a traditional, mid terraced house in need of a full modernisation.
“The village of Blaenrhondda is situated north of Treherbert and Treorchy and is in a semi rural location surrounded by attractive countryside and wonderful views over nearby mountains.
Sean said: “The village itself benefits from a range of amenities however there are a much wider selection of shopping facilities and transport links in Treherbert and Treorchy.”
The next Paul Fosh Auctions online sale when this and a further 82 lots will be offered starts at 12 noon on Tuesday, October 20 with lots going under the hammer from 5pm on Thursday, October 22.