The Times recently reported that Newquay is a prime property hotspot.

Listed as a ‘micromarket’, the coastal town is cited as “a haven of buoyant housing activity in an unpredictable market, buffeted by political turmoil.”

A combination of factors make Newquay and its surrounding area a desirable place to live, work and invest in. The most obvious, is its stunning location.

World class beaches, and unspoiled coast path walks, make it a Mecca for surfers, families and those looking to achieve an improved work-life balance.

We are spoilt for choice in Newquay. With eight beautiful sandy beaches to choose from, there are plenty to explore and Crantock, Holywell Bay, Watergate Bay and Mawgan Porth are all within a short drive from many of our developments. There are few other places in the UK that can lay claim to so many award-winning beaches within such close proximity and few other places we would prefer to call our home.

The Times article cited increased accessibility as a major reason for the area’s growing populari-ty. Improved air links to and from Newquay Airport to the UK’s major cities, has without doubt opened up Cornwall to the rest of the UK. There are now daily flights to and from Heathrow, as well as regular flights to Manchester, Birmingham, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Doncaster, Cork and Dublin.

Good train links from London, the Home Counties and other major towns in the West Country, make it easier than ever for people to live and work in Cornwall, while maintaining city business connections. Lots of people in Cornwall take the sleeper train to London, for an early morning arrival and a full day of meetings.

The Times article highlighted that a weaker pound and disruption to overseas travel has encouraged more second-home buyers to look closer to home. A trend that our preferred estate agent, David Ball Agencies has found. Instead of purchasing holiday homes abroad with the potential disruption to travel, bureaucracy and uncertainty of the pound, people are looking for second homes in beautiful places in this country.

The beauty of Cornwall used to be a best kept secret, but a plethora of companies and tourist related organisations have recognised Cornwall’s unique charm and culture and are reinforcing Cornwall as a ‘brand’. This has boosted the housing market in the region, further assisted by TV programmes such as Poldark and Doc Martin.

As a result, Newquay is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. New housing developments are re-generating run-down areas and many of the tired and unattractive buildings of the 60s and 70s have been replaced by modern, glass-fronted housing and apartments that attract a more cosmopolitan and active buyer and visitor.

All of this reinforces what we already know. Newquay is a great place to live and has a lot of po-tential for the astute home owner.

Almost all of our properties have been reserved off-plan, allowing buyers to have a greater input into the fixtures and fittings at the build stage. All but two of our properties at Woodlands, which overlooks the Gannel Estuary, have been reserved and all of the properties at ‘The Rocks’ devel-opment in Holywell Bay have now sold.

With work well underway for our first development in the homes market at Halwyn Meadows in Crantock, we expect continued interest in our contemporary homes, especially in such a sought-after location. Very unusually for the family home market, we have already sold a healthy proportion of properties off plan, reflecting a high demand in both the family homes and luxury property markets.

It would seem that although there is uncertainty around Brexit, buyers are still in search of a better work-life balance in a thriving coastal town and Newquay is a great place to find it.

* Information cited in this blog is dated February 2019 and subject to changing market conditions.