Buying a home in Cardiff
What official records show at 8 postcodes across Cardiff: flooding, radon, ground conditions, old landfill, protected buildings, prices, crime and schools. Conditions change from street to street, so use this to know what to ask, then check the home you're buying.
Check a home in Cardiff
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and sea6 of the 8 postcodes we checked in a mapped flood area
- Surface waterLow or very low at all 8 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 10–30% of homes above the action level
- GroundCompressible ground and running sand recorded nearby
- Average price£272,252 in Cardiff (July 2026)
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of Cardiff or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against Natural Resources Wales' Flood Map for Planning.
6 of the 8 postcodes we checked are in a mapped flood area:
A home in a mapped flood area can cost more to insure, and some lenders ask more questions. Ask the seller about past flooding and any flood claims, and ask your solicitor for an environmental search.
Surface water flooding
Flooding from heavy rain that can't drain away fast enough. It can happen far from any river.
- Very low: 8 of 8 postcodes
Surface water risk changes over a few metres, with the lie of the land. Medium means a 1% to 3.3% chance of flooding each year, and high more than that. Ask the seller about past flooding and look at the drainage when you view.
Radon
Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground. The UK Health Security Agency maps the share of homes above its action level in each 1 km square.
At 4 of the 8 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 10–30% of homes above the action level.
The map shows the highest value in each square, not a measurement for any home. A three-month radon test, or an address report from UKradon, tells you about a particular house. Where levels are high, a sump or better ventilation usually brings them down.
Ground stability
The British Geological Survey rates natural ground hazards, such as clay that shrinks and swells, and old non-coal mine workings.
- Compressible ground: significant near 5 of the 8 postcodes we checked
- Running sand: significant near 5 of the 8 postcodes we checked
- Landslides: moderate near 6 of the 8 postcodes we checked
- Clay shrink-swell: moderate near 2 of the 8 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is low or none at every postcode we checked.
Ratings are for the surrounding area, not for a particular plot. Where clay shrink-swell or old workings are recorded, ask your surveyor to look for cracking and movement, and ask the seller about subsidence claims. A level 2 or level 3 survey is worth more here than a valuation alone.
Old landfill sites
We don't include old landfill records for Wales yet.
Your solicitor's environmental search covers old landfill near the address you're buying in Cardiff.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Whether each postcode centre falls in a conservation area, on a listed building's site, or under similar protections.
- Roath Park (conservation area) at CF23 5EP
In a conservation area or a listed building you need consent for many changes, such as new windows, extensions or taking down trees. Check before you plan work.
House prices
The average price in Cardiff was £272,252 in July 2026, up 2.7% on a year earlier. This covers every home in the council area, so a particular street can be well above or below it.
At the postcodes we checked, Land Registry has 6 sales in the last 3 years, with a median of £370,000 and a range of £365,000 to £405,000. A handful of postcodes is a small sample, so treat this as a rough guide.
Our postcode check lists recent sales on the street, which tell you more about a particular home than a town average.
Crime
Measured around CF10 5TY, near the centre of Cardiff.
1,529 crimes were reported within about a mile of the centre in August 2026. Town centres usually have more, because of shops and nightlife.
- Violence and sexual offences471
- Shoplifting225
- Anti-social behaviour199
- Vehicle crime145
- Public order135
- Criminal damage and arson103
Our postcode check shows crime around any postcode, so you can see the street you're looking at.
Schools near the centre
The nearest schools by distance. Distance doesn't decide a place: each council's admissions rules do.
- ST MARY THE VIRGIN C/W PRIMARY SCHOOL
Primary · ages 3–11 · Voluntary aided school, English medium · 70 m
- ST CUTHBERT'S RC PRIMARY
Primary · ages 4–11 · Voluntary aided school, English medium · 430 m
- Grangetown Primary School
Primary · ages 4–11 · Community school, English medium · 1.2 km
- TREDEGARVILLE C/W PRIMARY
Primary · ages 3–11 · Voluntary aided school, English medium · 1.2 km
- ST PATRICK'S R C SCHOOL
Primary · ages 4–11 · Voluntary aided school, English medium · 1.2 km
- Willows High School
Secondary · ages 11–16 · Community school, English medium · 2.7 km
- Fitzalan High School
Secondary · ages 11–19 · Community school, English medium · 2.8 km
- Cathays High School
Secondary · ages 11–19 · Community school, English medium · 3.0 km
- Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Edern
Secondary · ages 11–19 · Community school, Welsh medium · 3.6 km
City of Cardiff Council: Primary admissions ↗ · Secondary admissions ↗
Postcode by postcode
Each row is one postcode centre we checked. Open a postcode for the full free area check.
| Postcode | Rivers and sea | Surface water | Radon | Ground | Landfill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF10 5TY | Flood Zone 3 | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: compressible ground, running sand | – |
| CF23 5EP | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: compressible ground, running sand | – |
| CF24 1PQ | Flood Zone 3 | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: compressible ground, running sand | – |
| CF24 5SB | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: compressible ground, running sand | – |
| CF10 4RP | Flood Zone 3 | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: compressible ground, running sand | – |
| CF11 0JY | Flood Zone 3 | Very low | 3–5% | Moderate | – |
| CF11 8DZ | Flood Zone 3 | Very low | 3–5% | Moderate | – |
| CF11 9HX | Flood Zone 3 | Very low | 10–30% | Moderate | – |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 8 postcodes, not every street. Results can differ a few doors away, so check the postcode you're buying in.
- It isn't a survey, a search or legal advice, and it doesn't rate Cardiff or any home.
- Planning applications aren't included here. The postcode check lists them for a particular address.
- Broadband and mobile coverage aren't included. Ofcom's free checker shows them for any address.
Sources
Checked 14 October 2026. We refresh these guides every month.
- HM Land Registry Price Paid Data
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Natural Resources Wales, Flood Map for Planning and Flood Risk Assessment Wales (Open Government Licence). Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and database right. All rights reserved.
- Conservation areas in Wales, Welsh local planning authorities via DataMapWales (Open Government Licence).
- Welsh Government, maintained schools in Wales, via DataMapWales (Open Government Licence)
- UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland), Open Government Licence. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Contains Registers of Scotland data © Crown copyright and database right.
- data.police.uk street-level crime (Open Government Licence)