Relocating to South Wales

funkygirl24004

Hi everyone, so in October I'll be moving to Wales. I know absolutely nothing about Wales, and I need some of your help. I got a job in Prince Charles hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, so the lack of jobs doesn't scare me for now. What scare me are the terrible opinions about living in the valleys, so I am looking for your help as to what are the best places to live within commuting (40-50min) distance to Merthyr Tydfil? I am not a big city girl so I don't mind it being rural just looking for something that is not described as chav city with everyone just being a drug dealer.. Hope you can help me a bit, thanks

Owain_Moneysaver

Some discussion here
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/426742/aberfan-merthyr-tydfil-area

Davesnave

It's not the scare stories so much as the depressing nature of some valley towns that would get to me. Bleak hillsides, often shrouded in mist, enclosing bleak-looking streets, scattered around willy-nilly where there were once mines.

But the valleys roads are good, which helps with commuting.

Abergavenny and Brecon are lovely if you can splash the cash. Otherwise, there are interface areas where the ex-hardcore mining regions drift into more diverse communities.


I assume you are renting, so the first 6 months will allow you to get a feel for the area. Maybe then move when something more fitted to you and pals you make comes up.

[Deleted User]

cowbridge aberthin ystradowen. All nice, cowbridge is pricey for a reason but aberthin and ystradowen as lovely and just enough away from the rhondda cynon taf label, having said that llantrisant would also be a good area and miskin. Btw I loved RCT, really good for walks, pony trecking and mountain biking.

gettingtheresometime

You'll be going against the traffic so Cardiff is potentially doable though v expensive.

You've got the option of places such as the Nelson area including as far down as Ystrad Mynach/Caerphilly as well as Pontypridd area.

Could you come down for a week/weekend to explore these places first?

Where are you from?

[Deleted User]

unless you are Welsh then it can be very hard to assimilate in the valley areas, even in Bridgend. The areas in the vale to the west of cardiff are more outward going than many of the valleys people that I knew. Unless you were born in the valleys and went to school there then making true friends could be very difficult and you could find it lonely. It is not a difficult journey to Merthyr from eg llantrisant, miskin or pontyclun and all of those are fine but no-where has that night life that you might want, except Cardiff, however there are pretty good rail links to Cardiff, which is one of my favourite cities

funkygirl24004

Thank you for all your response, gave me something to think about. All those names are just so foreign for me, although came to Yorkshire from Poland 7 years ago and I was in the same boat, as I am now, so hopefully, it won't be too bad.

Yes, I am going to be renting, so I guess that makes it easier to move if I really don't like it. Starting to get really panicky about the decision to move but the job is exciting and I'm hoping the nature is as beautiful as everyone describes, as I am a very outdoorsy person.

Davesnave

funkygirl24004 wrote: »

I'm hoping the nature is as beautiful as everyone describes, as I am a very outdoorsy person.

Yes, the Brecon Beacons National Park is on the doorstep. It's a wonderful area to explore.

There are some pretty reservoir lakes just a mile or two north of Merthyr, and this one, a bit further away called Usk Reservoir, which I really miss visiting:



The Welsh do the outdoors well. There seem to bemore picnic sites and picturesque stops on the roads than we get in Devon.

dunroving

This rings so many bells! I moved to the valleys in 2006 from the US and looked for places to live for about 6 months, but by then had taken a job in Scotland. I *almost* bought a house, just before I was offered the job in Scotland.

I drove for hours around the valleys looking at the various towns and villages (I worked in Pontypridd, and lived in rented accommodation in Caerphilly), considering the house prices and public transport options.

I found what I think would have been the perfect place to live, and it's even more perfect for your situation (flip past the next section if you want to know where). First though, I can share what I learned.

There is some beautiful countryside in the area. But many (perhaps most) of the towns are quite economically depressed and depressing.

The weather can sometimes really suck. Very wet, and overcast much of the time.

Very few houses have large flat gardens, because of the steep valley side. terraced, patios, gravel, decking seem to be more the norm.

The valleys are like fingers, and to get from one to another, you sometimes almost have to drive down the valley, to get to the bottom of another valley, to then go up the other valley (i.e., there are very limited options for driving "across" east/west). Places can be quite close as the crow flies, but take a long time to get to/from because the roads are not direct (or go over mountain tops that can be icy in the winter).

The traffic can be dreadful in places. I think my most depressing afternoon was when I headed towards Treorchy to scope out the area. To get there, I had to go through Porth, which was a complete logjam. The rain was teeming and it was freezing. I thought, "Why would i want to live up this valley and deal with this traffic every day?", I turned around and went home. I was miserable.

So, to my point. After all this searching, I discovered Caegarw, in/near Mountain Ash. Houses were very reasonably priced, and Caegarw is a small enclave tucked away off the B4275. Importantly, unlike much of Mountain Ash, if you want to get onto the B4275 during the morning commute, it's a *left* turn onto the B4275 in the mornings during the rush, so fewer queues as you are not having to cross the traffic and merge. Also, for you, the commute to Merthyr is ideal, because you are heading in the opposite direction (north) to most of the rush hour traffic (who are heading south to Pontypridd and Cardiff). It's just a 20-minute drive to Merthyr from Caegarw, so very do-able.

Check these houses out on Rightmove:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-72021581.html (the Triangle; the house I almost bought was here)

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-52196661.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-44861607.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64664167.html

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-70727852.html

This is the house I almost bought: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=15300885&sale=33126261&country=england

moneyistooshorttomention

funkygirl24004 wrote: »

Thank you for all your response, gave me something to think about. All those names are just so foreign for me, although came to Yorkshire from Poland 7 years ago and I was in the same boat, as I am now, so hopefully, it won't be too bad.

Yes, I am going to be renting, so I guess that makes it easier to move if I really don't like it. Starting to get really panicky about the decision to move but the job is exciting and I'm hoping the nature is as beautiful as everyone describes, as I am a very outdoorsy person.

Then you have two things going for you then:
- Not being British - you won't be thinking/feeling "Why does it feel so different somewhere else in my own country?" as many of us British do.
- You say you are an outdoorsy person - then that aspect will suit you. As DavesNave says Wales does do "outdoors" better than the rest of the country.

zagubov

Interesting houses, well-priced by London standards. If you've a secure job, you'll get lots of value for money. What's with the lack of floorplans though?