Shangri La back on the market after a £200,000 refurbishment
It went on the market and became Zoopla’s most popular property. Now, the Grade II-listed Art Deco masterpiece has been renovated. Philip Dewey took a look around...
AN Art Deco-style home in Wales, which was once Zoopla’s most popular property, is back on the market having undergone a stunning transformation.
The Grade II-listed Shangri La, in Pontllanfraith, Blackwood, was bought at auction in April 2015 by Dayne and Julie Bartlett for £200,000.
The property was in need of major renovation but still more than 19,000 prospective buyers viewed it online before it was put up for auction.
Having bought their dream property, the couple began work straight away on returning the 1930s detached home to its former glory.
Despite setting a budget of £80,000 to do up the property, the renovation cost more in the region of £200,000.
Dayne said: “We thought [the house] was a steal really. We were told so many people wanted it and we thought we’d never have it. It was a shock really.”
Three years after the project was started, the renovation of Shangri La is complete and it is back on the market.
Speaking about the reason for selling up, 50-year-old Dayne, originally from Bournemouth, said: “We’re selling it for a life change really. We’re not getting any younger and I want more free time. We’ve got the means there now to give us a better lifestyle.”
Julie, 59, from Penpedairheol, Caerphilly, added: “We want to go back to auction and buy cheap properties to do up and go into the property trade.
“I’ve been doing it all my life and we enjoy it.”
The property has an entrance hall, two reception rooms, a kitchen, four bedrooms (two with balconies) and two bathrooms, as well as a double garage. The new additions to the property include an outdoor heated swimming pool, a sauna room and cinema room.
The colour scheme for the house is black and white, with all furniture and features bought brand-new.
You’ll also find a statue of a black bear which Dayne brought to the grounds after his grandchildren took a shine to it.
Dayne said: “The council and Cadw are happy with it and think we have done a good job on it. There’s also my cinema room which overlooks the pool.
“It has a 3D projector, 83in screen and surround-sound, and that is stunning. It’s like a cinema. Our thought was when we bought the house, if we couldn’t afford to do it up properly we wouldn’t have done it. It’s the only Art Deco house in Wales – it’s iconic.”
■ If you want more information on Shangri La, contact Dayne Bartlett on 07779 574025 or info@toctrim.co.uk