Words by Hannah Tapping
A retrospective look at the last hundred days of the property market with Rohrs and Rowe.
A stunning home near Falmouth, sold last year by Martyn and Matthew
It came as a surprise to many that the housing market re-opened quite so suddenly on 13th May and the first 100 days of activity that followed were unlike any other in recent history, proving the desirability of Cornwall is on more people’s minds across the country than ever before.
What Cornwall has to offer is obviously extremely topical right now, from its beautiful beaches and coastline to its open space and lower population density. Post lockdown, people’s life plans and priorities have most definitely changed. For example, those who were looking to retire in five years are bringing this forward and they are therefore wanting to move in a much quicker time frame. “Buyers who were thinking of purchasing a continental retreat are also now contacting us saying they have changed their target destination to Cornwall,” Martyn explains. “There are people who own smaller second homes in Cornwall who are now looking to trade it up to a much larger home, as they seek to either move, or spend much more of their time here. These are just a few examples of the market activity.”
Just a selection of properties sold STC by Rohrs and Rowe since lockdown
The style of houses that are sought-after has also changed. The coastal properties have always been and will remain in highest demand, but the largest shift has been in the country market. Whether it is a comfortably sized family house in good-sized gardens and grounds, or larger country houses within more privacy and plenty of space to accommodate guests or multi-generational family members, the demand has lifted dramatically. Properties with established income streams too, are also proving extremely popular indeed, as Martyn predicted in issue 95 of our sister publication, Cornwall Living.
A shift in work culture, Matthew states, manifested by Covid-19, means that more professional people are being afforded the flexibility of working from home: “We are finding that a lot of interest is from professionals, of both younger and older generations. Several of the buyers are also people born in Cornwall, who moved to other areas for educational or professional reasons and they are now able and wanting to return to Cornwall with their families, and it’s the shift in work culture that is allowing it to happen sooner in life than people had first planned. The current situation is definitely changing people’s lives.”
This combination has meant that it has been an incredibly busy few months for Rohrs and Rowe, resulting in a record number of sales being agreed over the summer period and there being a lack of property for sale in relation to the high demand. “If anyone is thinking about capitalising on the feel good factor in the market, I would urge them to get in touch in with us in order to discuss what we are able to offer that is very different to our competitors,” concludes Martyn.