I was one of those people who recently bought a house in Gabalfa. I was originally looking in the Heath at 3 bed semis around £225k (the saints' area if you know Cardiff). I was always disappointed by the size of the rooms or the size of the garden. The ex-council houses in Gabalfa are larger than the houses in the Heath and are usually on a larger plot. I got mine last year for £100k less than the price would have been 500yards north in the Heath. That left me a hell of a lot of money for improvements. Communications are also great being close to the interchange (noise levels are not a problem) for all routes out of Cardiff. There are buses into town every 3 minutes! Bute park is 5 minutes walk and you can them walk through the park into town. Plenty of shops and resturants locally on Whitchurch Rd. It is a wonderful place to live.
Prices have edged up a little since I bought, but there are still some real bargins to be had. See Peter Alan, Darlows, Michael Jones, Halifax. These are all three bed semis between 140k and 150k. Chambers Agent does have one on sale for £175k but I think that is just speculation!
If you are looking to move now that the market has settled, these houses make great investments. I am hoping to stay in mine for a very long time.
