The chronicles of Gwalia

Part of the wider plan is to set up a small holiday let business, although these need to be molded from budget property purchases that no one else seemed to want to tackle. Gwalia Stores is one such task, and I am starting to feel the strains of the renovation and worry it just won't cut the mustard.

Having tentatively and generally unsuccessfully dabbled with running a business in the past, I am under no illusions that self-employment will be a difficult and frugal existence. What’s more, I know many of my current employment-based frustrations will simply be replaced by a different set of annoyances, and for less money. However, I think I am just one of those people who is best off and happiest doing my own thing and being accountable for my own mistakes, whilst also having the freedom to be creative and impulsive. So, part of the master plan is to set up a small holiday let business to enable self-employment, and we currently have two renovations on the go to try and kick-start this aim. You may have gathered from 1 wedding, 3 kids, 6 renovations and almost a funeral, that property renovations have been a bit of a fixture in our lives, and at times dominated them, so this situation is not unusual. I seem to have a strange and very particular type of amnesia that means I completely forget the immense upheaval, relationship strains, physical demands and financial implications that previous projects have inflicted, in a similar way I forget the suffering of hangovers. I always say “I will never take on a f~@+@~ renovation project again”, shortly after throwing the tools back in the shed, only for this powerful aversion to quickly disappear and be replaced by an enthusiastic craving to buy a complete wreck. Of the two wrecks currently on the go, I am focusing my attention on Gwalia Stores, a former Saddlers shop in the charming town of Llanfyllin.

After over a year of listed planning wrangling, for what I consider to be minor alterations, the process of removing, rewiring, replacing, regretting and rejoicing finally commenced and I would say I am now in between the regretting and rejoicing phases. Gwalia is an unusual but lovely listed townhouse that dates to around 1600, with chamfered beams, oak flooring, winding stairs and a handsome Victorian shopfront with the original shop fittings. Its unusual layout and presentation make it a very niche property and, although its prospects as a high street shop had long disappeared, a commercial future of some kind seemed appropriate. So, the plan is to create a quirky holiday let, that capitalises on the history and commercial features of the building, whilst offering a modern, good quality base for groups and families to explore the area. I also feel this use will bring the decaying building back to life and give it a 21st century relevance and, once again, make it a contributing force to the local economy of the town. Furthermore, I have made connections with the North Wales Wildlife Trust, who manage several local reserves, and will be donating a percentage of the revenue to their cause.

Unfortunately, this plan seems a long way off just now, with the building half-finished and requiring a massive Herculean effort. After months of painful graft, declarations of never taking on a renovation again are already seeping into my narrative. In my defence, it has been a long road so far, with the challenges of a listed building surpassing my expectations. I am now officially sick to the back teeth of lugging oak beams around, sweeping up a never-ending supply of dust, lime plastering vast wonky walls and the endless process of delicate decoration.

This said, things are suddenly taking a turn for the better, and the onset of spring has helped me to refuel and refocus on this beautiful property. After a dull winter, the sun is now high enough to cast cheerful beams of light over the worn oak floorboards and pick out the characterful imperfections on my lime plasterwork (deliberate imperfections of course!). Suddenly, the place is taking shape and I am enthused again by this historic gem. This enthusiasm was bolstered even more following a visit from Sykes cottages, who dispelled my fears around the incompatibility of the property, and instead deemed it a very viable proposition. Their financial projections far exceeded my own and, although I am still very sceptical, it offers encouragement for this income stream. The next couple of months, therefore, are going to involve a big push to try and get Gwalia ready for July, and hopefully illustrate how such properties can translate to sound and sustainable businesses.

Some before and after pictures added Aug 2021