When they were built, the townhouses, located just 50 meters from the sands of Rhosneigr beach, failed to find buyers. It didn’t matter that they provided the perfect spot to watch the sunset across the sea. Thirty years ago the tiny village on Anglesey’s west coast was not attractive enough.

In 1996 the island of Wales did indeed seem further away. There was no internet, it often took hours to get there by car, and although families came for holidays, it was a modest place where the average cost of a house was £50,836.

But fast forward to today, Rhosneigr has transformed from a secluded holiday spot into a highly desirable destination for the super-rich.

Analysis by the Express’ data unit shows that growth in property values ​​in this small Welsh village has lagged behind only London over the past three decades. The average house price as of September 2024 is currently an incredible £679,000.

When one of the townhouses near the beach went up for sale this year, local estate agent Rhosneigr Property reported strong interest and a quick sale.

This was far from an isolated case.

Demand for houses in the village is now so strong that it only takes a few days for small houses with sea views to be advertised.

Sitting behind the counter of the blue-painted Funsport surf shop, Rhosneigr native Nadine Moore wonders what exactly is creating the enthusiasm.

“So it’s just like a little high street and some shops,” he tells the Express. “There’s not much here.”

Like many of the village residents the Express spoke to, Moore describes it as “aside from being really nice.”

The 30-year-old water sports enthusiast wasn’t alone in feeling Rhosneigr’s magnetic pull. In his case, he had traveled all over the world but felt compelled to stay only in this small coastal community. “It has a vibe,” he says. “Even traveling to Australia and New Zealand (they weren’t like Rhosneigr).”

Moore, who has lived in the village for five years, noticed that it had become a place where you could meet influential people on the beach.

“A lot of people come here and (their place in Rhosneigr) is not their only holiday home, they have a couple,” Moore says.

“You’ll meet people like the owner of a high street restaurant or a housing company, where one in every two people is usually a fairly well-known person.”

He compares the structure of the community with that of society. netflix Show the Outer Banks, where wealthy seasonal residents mingle with the local working class.

“It’s like a surf town,” adds Moore, “so there are a lot of people who come here to kitesurf and windsurf. They are part of the core who either grew up here or moved to the water sports scene.

“It also brings a lot of wealth from wealthy individuals like Chester or Manchester; Rich people who come here can launch a speedboat and use the water in a very luxurious way. “They have beautiful homes overlooking a beach destination.”

The problem with having a place that attracts super rich people with multiple secondary properties is that they often sit empty.

This, unsurprisingly, makes some full-time residents unhappy.

“The number of second homes is always an issue because the village is very quiet in the winter and some small businesses have closed,” says local councilor Derek Browne.

“Generally people are not happy about it because it prices local people and young people out of the market.”

In 2023 the Welsh Language Association blamed the abundance of second homes for a huge decline in the number of Welsh speakers in the village.

Only 27% of Rhosneigr’s population spoke the local dialect; almost half the number in neighboring towns and one of the worst figures on Anglesey.

“Rhoseignr is the epicenter of the second housing crisis, a symptom of the wider failure of the free housing market to deliver on its aim of providing adequate and affordable homes for local people,” the association said. North Wales Online.

Since these complaints were raised, the second home situation has been affected by new powers given to local authorities by the Welsh government; this allowed Anglesey to increase council tax rates on second homes by up to 150%.

Councilor Browne explained that although the legislation stipulates that the houses are sold, the buyers are not local people.

This is partly because they are so expensive, but also because of the boom in working from home. Covid The pandemic has seen people from all over Britain make places like Rhosneigr their primary residence.

That’s why local estate agent Rhosneigr Property’s latest clients include a family working in London, who are now based on Anglesey thanks to flexible and remote working arrangements. Owner Daniel Fernandes understands the appeal of moving on a personal level.

Fernandes, whose Cheshire-born wife holidayed in the village during her childhood, was fascinated by the lifestyle in Rhosneigr from the first moment he visited his mother-in-law, who had moved there to retire.

“The weather was gorgeous and I was amazed to see the bay with the waves rolling in,” he adds.

“I went to the bars on the weekend and felt the excitement. That evening we went to a family barbecue and it was like stepping into a different world.”

In terms of rising house prices, it’s a different world than even Britain’s most sought-after postcodes.