Property in Devon and Cornwall.
If you bought a house or holiday-home in Devon and Cornwall five years ago or so, congratulations - you've probably made a killing! When we moved down here a few years back, we thought we'd be able to buy a small mansion for what we'd sold our house "up country" for. We were wrong! Property prices in Devon and Cornwall have increased way beyond the national average over the last five years, especially in Cornwall where the differential between average house price and average income is the highest of anywhere in the UK.
But now for the good news! We reckon (and it's just a personal view) that property prices "down here" are likely to continue to grow beyond the national average rate, as more and more people look for their holiday-hideaway or retirement home in Devon and Cornwall. Not good news for youngsters growing up in Devon and Cornwall, but perhaps good news for those looking for a property investment. Again, just a personal view - property prices can of course go down as well as up!
If, like many others, you are looking to buy property in Devon or Cornwall for the first time, we've put together a few helpful links below.
Property in the Local Papers
The Western Morning News has an excellent Saturday property section which covers all of Devon and Cornwall. Often it's the more expensive property which features, but still worth a look to give you a flavour of what's available.
Plymouth's Evening Herald has a very substantial property pull-out section on a Thursday, covering Plymouth but also West Devon and East Cornwall.
The Cornish Guardian series of weekly papers covers most of Cornwall, and the Cornish Times is a useful guide to what's available in South East Cornwall, including Looe and Polperro.
Property on the Web
There are lots of property websites, but we particularly like the RightMove site which includes an easy-to-use search facility which allows you to search for property by area.
Quick links:
Something for the Weekend?
If you've not the cash to invest in a bricks-and-mortar holiday home, a relatively low-cost alternative is a mobile holiday home (otherwise known as a caravan!).
The benefit is a relatively low entry-cost (potentially £10k or less), giving you access to your holiday home for most of the year, and the potential for rental income when you're not using it.
The down side is that a static caravan is a depreciating asset, and on any official site you will have to pay a fee for ground rent and for site facilities.
Worth considering though. West Star Holidays are one of the leading operators in this field in Devon and Cornwall, and offer sites with good facilities (swimming pools etc), and can take some of the hassle out of owning a holiday home.
Try before you Buy
Especially if you plan to "buy to let", it's worth checking out the market thoroughly before you take the plunge.
One of the best ways is to rent a place for a short break or a week from one of the local holiday cottage specialists.
Our favourite is Helpful Holidays. Even if you don't end up renting one of their places, it's worth requesting one of their fabulous brochures, with hundreds of privately-owned cottages and apartments throughout Devon and Cornwall, with beautiful photos and really honest descriptions.
For something slightly different, you may like to try the Beach Retreats apartments marketed by the Watergate Bay Hotel. Watergate Bay has the benefit of being just five minutes from Newquay Cornwall Airport (flights from London, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Dublin etc), and is home to both the Extreme Academy (for every sort of beach-sport from kite-surfing to sand-buggying), and Jamie Oliver's new Fifteen Cornwall restaurant overlooking the beach.
Simply Devon and Cornwall. Hotels in Devon. Hotels in Cornwall. Devon information. Cornwall information. Devon days out. Cornwall days out. Devon webcams. Cornwall webcams. Eating out in Devon. Eating out in Cornwall. Devon holidays. Cornwall holidays. Simply Devon and Cornwall.
For a wide selection of Devon and Cornwall hotels at reasonable prices:
or visit our
hotels index page for hotel suggestions including honest reviews.
the insiders' guide to everything that's great about Devon and Cornwall
