2 days Ago By [email protected] (Joanne Ridout)
Imagine finding your dream location but sitting on it was a house that was not your dream home. Would you go ahead and buy it anyway in the hope of getting planning permission to create a new dwelling? If you were successful would you also then be worried about how long and how much money it would take and if you might even like and have an emotional connection to the new property that rises up from the rubble of the old? For couple Hayley and Mike they found, a decade ago in 2015, the perfect location to enjoy the most mesmerising view of Cardiff Bay but there was a problem with the house that already occupied the spot that helped them shape their decision for the future. For more property stories sent to your inbox twice a week sign up to the property newsletter here .
READ MORE: This is Wales' best place to live in 2025 Hayley, aged 50 and a d evelopment manager for Fine Wines Direct UK, said: " We bought the property for the view and the location. It's a 20-minute walk to the bay, 10-minute walk to Penarth town centre, and within a 10-minute drive into the centre of Cardiff. When we bought the property we always had the vision to knock it down and rebuild as the whole building was damp, dark, and facing the wrong direction so a renovation was never going to work.
" After planning was achieved the "tough" build began as the house design was turned around to make the most of the view. But that meant having to dig down into the cliff-top to create the semi-submerged lower ground floor. The couple were also adamant that it would be as eco-friendly as possible even though that contributed to the stress of the project.
Hayley said: "There were many challenges in the demolition and the build but I think the most difficult part was planning our heating system and energy sources. "We always wanted to be gas-free and as efficient as possible so we set about designing a system that would work. Information was so difficult to find and there seemed to be hardly any similar systems to use as a comparison.
It has had its teething problems whilst we've gained more understanding but it now works great, just as we'd hoped. "My advice to others regarding this would be if it is a self-build there are a few alternative options to an air source heat pump. Shop around, do your homework – look at solar, battery storage and thermal stores.
We have a Woodfire Passiv log burner that combined with solar and battery heats the thermal store and we have no gas." After 14 months and "a lot" of money the house was finished and the family of four have been enjoying calling it home ever since. Hayley said: "We have some lovely design features and items around the house but to be honest the house is all about the view.
We can see both Severn bridges and all the way up to Castell Coch and everything in between – St David's Hotel, Millennium Centre, the Senedd, the Principality Stadium, Cardiff City Stadium, plus all the iconic skyscrapers appearing more and more on the Cardiff skyline. "We will miss everything about this house. We took a long time designing the layout and features to fit our needs as a family.
Most things within the house can be recreated in another house but there is a 'feeling' in this house – it is special and it is very special to us. "For the new owner their life will be quiet, peaceful, relaxing. If they tell friends where they live then they will definitely be having plenty of party requests – New Year's Eve parties are out of this world.
" Hayley and Mike's dream home in Penarth overlooking Cardiff Bay is for sale for £1,595,000 with David Baker & Co, Penarth. Call 029 2070 2622 to find out more. For more property stories join our Amazing Welsh Homes Facebook group here .
The location and the view across Cardiff Bay from Penarth headland captivated owners Hayley and Mike when they were looking for a special site to renovate or construct their family home. Hayley said: "The property we bought in 2015 was the old harbourmaster's cottage built in the mid-1800s. It was originally a large house and was split into two semi-detached cottages years later.
The cottage had two bedrooms upstairs and one on the ground floor, a kitchen, lounge, and bathroom." The couple said when they bought the property they always had the vision to knock it down and rebuild it as the whole of the original building was "damp, dark, and facing the wrong direction". Hayley continued: "We began the project by slowly dismantling the old cottage piece by piece.
We struggled to keep any of the existing material as everything was so old and unsalvageable. However we did manage to keep some of the roof beam trusses and have them as featured artefacts in the garden." The couple describe the build as "a tough one" as the house is half-buried into the plot itself so the excavation was enormous.
Hayley added: "We dug out the whole footprint of the plot and then levelled it pegged out ready for the initial raft foundation. This was followed by a Styrostone ICF (insulated concrete formwork) external wall system to make the property super-insulated and super-efficient once completed." The grand yet welcoming light-filled entrance hallway is a complete change from the original house.
Hayley said: "Originally the property faced towards the sea whilst the new house faces towards Cardiff with views of the Severn bridges and the landscape of Cardiff city and beyond towards Castell Coch and Caerphilly mountains the other way, so a 180-degree view for miles." Hayley continued: "Our favourite design feature is our staircase. It's comprised of self-supporting solid concrete with solid timber alternate steps and glass balustrades.
The other cool feature is that the steps are so big we had to buy a whole tree which happens to be the tree that was used in the set of His Dark Materials. The series was filmed in Cardiff with Lin-Manuel Miranda, James McAvoy, and Ruth Wilson. The tree was sold to the BBC/HBO and then returned to Millwood sawmill in Cowbridge as they had finished using it.
" The stairs descend to the bedrooms, principal suite, gym, and cinema/games room as these are all found dug down into the clifftop. Hayley said: "As the property is half underground the whole build was tanked to make it waterproof and then buried back under – all very challenging as you can imagine. After the Covid pandemic building materials were slower and hugely more expensive and everything took a bit longer to get done but other than that all went to plan.
" The house has three spacious bedrooms with the principal boasting an en suite and separate dressing room. The principal bedroom's en suite is pure posh hotel luxury including double sinks and a sizeable walk-in shower. Hayley said: "Every morning when you wake up here you can get a good feel without going outside of what the weather is like – you can see the waves and if they are calm or choppy.
If the Cardiff skyline is white that means the rain is coming to Penarth next, if it's clear to the Severn bridge is going to be a great day, and if the barrage is frozen then it's bitter outside." Bedroom two can match these facilities and bedroom three has an en suite shower room – and all of the bedrooms have substantial sliding door access to the lower ground patio and rear garden. Hayley said: "Summer is great here – the front and lower patio get the sun most of the day, the side terrace gets sun all day, and the balcony has morning sun until about 3pm so is amazing for breakfast and brunch.
" Each of the bedrooms has its own luxury designed en suite shower room so there's no fighting for the facilities in the morning. The family bathroom, also found on the lower ground floor continues the luxury but adds a statement bath too for anyone who likes to have a soak in hot bubbles at the end of a busy day. The lower ground floor has a dedicated gym and a separate games and cinema room – both of which could easily be used as bedrooms if a four- or five-bedroom home is required by a potential new buyer.
Hayley said: "The open-plan living area is our favourite space – it's very spacious, has a crazy vaulted ceiling with beams going in all sorts of directions. The view from the sofa, the kitchen island, the dining room, in fact everywhere looks out to the city and seascape so it is priceless – just a very cool space to live in." The open-plan area that dominates most of the upper floor is perfectly zoned into lounging, dining, and cooking with instant access out to the balcony and a continuous and delightfully distracting view permanently stretching across one wall.
Hayley said during the demolition of the old house, under the lounge floor, they found three South Wales Echo and Daily Herald billboard newspaper posters which they carefully removed and have framed and are now displayed in a prominent position in the open-plan kitchen. The high-end kitchen will please any cook and includes a huge island that offers another spot in the house for people to gather and enjoy the company, plus a pantry, home office, and walk-in coat cupboard. In addition the house has also been constructed to be environmentally conscious and is fitted with state-of-the-art solar panels and a battery storage system allowing for energy efficiency and reduced utility costs.
Sleek and stylish polished concrete floors throughout the property offer a modern, minimalistic aesthetic and are complemented by the warmth and comfort of underfloor heating, providing a perfect balance of style and practicality. Hayley said: "I know it's our house but this view is without a doubt the best view in Cardiff – it's incredible. In addition to the far-reaching daylight views we have the most amazing view at night of the city lit up and as you can imagine the best free fireworks display in Wales on Bonfire Night and New Years Eve.
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