Cornwall replaces London as the most popular location on Rightmove

Cornwall has overtaken London as the most popular British location among homebuyers searching online, it has been revealed.

Rightmove said there were more than five million searches for properties in Cornwall in February alone – double on the same month a year ago – although how many people were actively planning to move there and what proportion were browsing is not known.

The figure came to light as the property listing website compared searches in January and February 2021 with the same months in 2020, to show how trends have changed during the coronavirus lockdowns.

Searches for the village of Stithians in Cornwall were up 224 per cent compared with a year ago, while searches for Polperro, also in Cornwall increased by 203 per cent.

These were the biggest annual increases seen across the whole of Britain.

Searches for properties in Braemar, in Aberdeenshire, increased by 189 per cent, making it the location with the third highest annual jump in property searches.

Dorset jumped into the top 10 in this year’s most popular counties, after being ranked 20th a year ago, as more people browse attractive countryside and seaside locations.

There have also been more people who currently live in a city inquiring about a property that is outside of that city.

The biggest shift has been in London, where a year ago 39 per cent of house hunters were inquiring about properties outside London. This has jumped up to more than half at 52 per cent.

Tenants are also searching for more space. A year ago, the most sought-after property type for renters was a two-bedroom flat, and this has been replaced by a two-bedroom semi-detached house, Rightmove said.

Rightmove’s Tim Bannister said: ‘The stand-out trends over the past year have been increased demand for countryside and coastal living, more people making the dream of a detached home a reality, and the increased appeal of a garden.’

He added: ‘The huge population of London means that traditionally it’s the most searched-for location on Rightmove, but the appeal of the coast and the countryside over the past year has seen Cornwall crowned the new capital this year.

‘More space has always been the most common reason for people moving home, but the evolution for many from balancing their laptop on the end of a bed last March to making an office a permanent addition to a home, whether that’s by converting a bedroom, garage or garden shed, has led to a need for even bigger homes than before.

‘This is evident with five-bedroom detached homes seeing the biggest growth in sales, and two-bed homes becoming the most sought after for people renting.’

A stamp duty holiday up to £500,000, which was due to end in March 2021, has now been extended in full until the end of June and thresholds will not revert to normal levels until October 2021.

Several big high street lenders are also gearing up to take part in a new 5 per cent deposit mortgage guarantee scheme from this spring, which should also support the market. 

Emma Ward, of Goundrys Estate Agents, in Cornwall, said: ‘It’s been an incredibly busy year as people rethink the types of homes they want to buy and where they want to live. 

‘Some are moving here to be closer to family while others are looking for a complete change in lifestyle. Detached homes, which are around the £500k-£700k mark here, have been flying off the shelves, we’ve none left. 

‘We need more sellers to come to market as there is such strong buyer demand for places with garages, gardens, office space and more.’ 

Indeed, a search on Rightmove reveals low stock for homebuyers in the most popular areas of Cornwall.