the times Saturday July 25 2020 31

How to move house by March Bricks&Mortar page 42

Properties selling in a day, dashes to the coast and £250,000 for a one-off summer let. Hugh Graham on a remarkable local market Cornish gold rush You can see St Michael’s Mount from this 18th-century manor house, on sale for £2 million through Strutt & Parker. A thatched cottage, below, near is on the market for £495,000 with Jackson-Stops

he pandemic has caused Constantine Bay, near in north is a pool and three or four tennis courts. on the market before lockdown, then in Tina Flatau to take stock . In the spring, after lockdown It is happy valley for us.” June somebody else came along and of her life. The scientist, restrictions had eased, they got up at Flatau is in good company. “In my offered £30,000 more.” 57, had been holidaying the crack of dawn and drove from 40 years in Cornwall I have never Imagine seagulls attacking in Cornwall for a London to Cornwall, donned masks seen such high demand,” says a leftover bag of chips or a lost decade, and she and and viewed the property with a Knight Ian Lillicrap, a co-founder of dollop of ice cream and you have her husband had been Frank agent, drove back home the Lillicrap Chilcott estate agency. some idea of the drama of the contemplating buying same day, then made an offer and “In June we agreed 40 sales housing market in the most Ta house there in a few years to use in completed last week. and made £28 million, favoured Cornish locations. retirement. “The virus has brought “We thought we better buy sooner compared with June 2019, “There is a frenzied feel to it,” everything into focus. We talked about rather than later. We are in our fifties when we made £19.9 million on says Josephine Ashby, director the future — normally we are too busy now and think the older you get, the less 37 properties. One house above at John Bray & Partners, which to think. Covid reminded us that life is you should wait. Our children are grown Porth Beach, 85 people viewed it sells in Rock, Daymer Bay, short and UK holidays are less uncertain up now, but they love it down here, so in ten days, and we had ten offers Polzeath and Port Isaac in north than going abroad, and working from we may see more of them in Cornwall over the asking price of £375,000. A Cornwall, where the latest must- home means less of a rush back to than we do in London,” Flatau says. £900,000 house in Polperro sold at have for buyers is an outdoor shower. London on Monday morning,” she says. “We are surrounded by people from asking price before it came on to the “It is very intense. There is less They bought a two-bedroom £500,000 London. We can walk to the beach, the market. We agreed a sale on a terrace in prevarication, and less to and fro from flat in Trevose Lodge, a golf resort in sea is turquoise like the Caribbean, there Truro for over £500,000 that had been Continued on page 32 the times Saturday July 25 2020 the times Saturday July 25 2020 32 Bricks&Mortar Bricks&Mortar 33

buyers. They are really committed. Deals that normally take two months are happening in two or three weeks. Three properties have gone to best bids in 24 hours. One achieved 15 per cent over the 6 2 guide price. There are slim pickings in prime areas; not much is for sale. Buyers are getting frustrated and emotions are running high. They ring me up every day saying, ‘Anything new, anything new?’ ” 7 Dashed expectations have caused 1 people to weep into their facemasks. “There is a lot of impatience and stress out there,” says Christopher Bailey, the 8 head of national waterfront properties at Knight Frank. “I might advise my clients to accept the most proceedable buyer, not the highest offer. This can be 5 stressful for some buyers, who will then offer more, but they are just too late to the party. In the current climate, if 10 a buyer sees a property they want, they need to drop everything and come down, but they weren’t able to do that until July 4, and even now all the hotels are 4 3 booked solid. If you really want that 9 house, you must be prepared to get up at 4am and drive back at the end of the day and get back to London at midnight. That is what is required.” It is not only early starts that are part Decor decoded Chelsea pad of the new normal in the property scene in Cornwall. Some buyers must be prepared to put down a £20,000 deposit The palm trees were the first but it is actually a high-quality at the outset to have their offer accepted Art deco glamour 1things we bought. They’re plastic that feels luxurious. — solicitors are writing up “lockout actually 1960s pieces in Murano The pendant is a 1960s waterfall agreements” to prevent other buyers meets English glass with a pearlescence. I found 6chandelier, also in Lucite. from making an offer after their client’s them scrolling on the internet, at Again, it had brass trim, which was offer has been accepted. Bailey says that the Harter Galerie, an antiques prevalent in American art deco. The about 20 per cent of his deals now have elegance in Studio shop in Nice. They were the driving wall sconces over the fireplace, from lockout clauses. “It used to be unheard factor for the rest of the room. Bella Figura in Chelsea Harbour, of, but buyers can’t afford to be relaxed. Indigo’s Georgian The walls are painted in Zoffany are also in Lucite and brass. It is an extraordinary market. We can’t 2Powder Puff, a dusty pink. The fireplace was inspired by remember a time when we were last this townhouse A pale pink runs through the pearl 7an onyx fireplace in the dining busy. The stamp duty cut has helped: in the palm trees, and we wanted to room of the Queen Mary ocean between £500,000 and £1 million is really bring that out. liner. It was hand-carved by Paul active. Properties that have been on the n the exclusive Boltons The rug is the Palm Heart by Spencer, an artisan in Somerset. market for over a year are getting the as well in St Ives as they can in St conservation area in Chelsea, 3Michaela Schleypen, from Front The tables framing the fireplace right kind of offers at last.” Albans. “We have various people who southwest London, this Rugs. It was rectangular, but we 8are a high-gloss black lacquer That is especially true for the country- came down here for lockdown to their townhouse was a landmark made it round. We wanted an with brass inserts. A TV pops up house market between £1 million and holiday home and realise they don’t project for the interior design organic, free-flowing feel to the from the one on the left. They were £5 million, according to the estate agent want to go back to London,” Ashby says. Ifirm Studio Indigo. “It was probably room, rather than a structured bespoke, made by Little Halstock in Jonathan Cunliffe, who says that the “So they are buying something bigger the first time we’ve done an art Georgian layout. The look reminds Beaminster, Dorset. On top are sector was moribund for years. “That inland: it is the dream, driving around in deco-inspired Georgian house,” says you of palm leaves. The green picks vintage opalescent art deco shell market has sprung back to life. I can’t a Land Rover.” Gemma McCloskey, its associate up the garden outside and livens up lamps from Anne Hauck in LA. remember this many cash buyers at the Indeed, if you want to avoid the director. “The clients liked the the pale pastels. The floor is a double-fumed oak high end for more than a decade. feeding frenzy on the coast, your money Georgian detailing and proportions The sofa also has that curved 9rhomboid parquet, stained Country houses used to be seen as too will go much further inland near the of the room, but they weren’t 4organic shape. We didn’t want black. A lot of art deco furniture is much of a commitment, when people A30, the spine of Cornwall, perhaps responding to traditional English a big heavy object as soon as you brown wood; we thought black were travelling more and didn’t want to around Moor, says Cunliffe. If interiors or anything too ornate enter the room, so there is only would be the most neutral maintain grounds. Now people have you want the Cornish coast and can’t or fussy. They really responded a partial backrest. The design was foundation for the different shades. realised they won’t be travelling as afford a £2 million waterfront house to curves, geometrics and 1930s bespoke by Studio Indigo, made by The pouffe was made in much and that it would be in Rock — aka Chelsea-on- aesthetics, so we did different Ridge Interior Furnishings, and 10Portugal by duistt.com. We nice to grow your own Five miles Sea — you can still find styles of art deco on each floor, upholstered in Holly Hunt Twisted had it upholstered in pale pink vegetables and have the dream in the from oriental to English, but Linen, Storm White. velvet to be used as a footstool, but a tennis court.” area, on the northern we didn’t want it to be too overt The coffee table is also bespoke, it doubles as a side table: on top is Indeed, the decline Polzeath Port tip of the Cornish or for it to look like an old 5from Cain Modern in Los a high-gloss lacquer tray for of overseas travel is Isaac coast, near Devon. cinema. This upper-ground floor Angeles. It is Lucite, which was canapés and cocktails. fuelling the Cornish Padstow “It is the most drawing room pays tribute to common in the mid-century, with Interview by Hugh Graham Rock gold rush. At the A39 difficult to get to,” Hollywood glamour.” brass trim. Lucite looks like glass, studioindigo.co.uk height of lockdown, Constantine Lillicrap says. “It is lots. “It could be someone who wants one person who was Bay under the radar and a change, it’s a laid-back, barefoot, eco meant to go to Mawgan slightly forgotten, lifestyle,” says Williams, who wants to France reportedly Porth A39 but it is beautiful and pass the torch after 20 years of running Compiled by Katrina Burroughs offered the owner of you might pay perhaps the business. Save&Splurge White paint @Kat_Burroughs a waterfront home 50 per cent less than in And it is these dreams of starting £250,000 to move out for A30 Rock, although waterfront fresh, spurred on by a heightened sense the summer. They refused. homes around Bude tend to Top: this three-bedroom (£864,720), Mawgan Porth (£709,427), a traditional boom market, it’s due to of mortality after Covid, that has given X Matt emulsion Buyers know that staycations are be up on cliffs, rather than on house near Falmouth is Padstow (£577,877) and (£467,828). pent-up demand after lockdown. There Cornish estate agents a summer to paint in Milk, the future, so buying a second home beach level. If you went inland to appropriately named West Cornwall is generally more are more buyers around, but sellers can’t remember. “It is making people reflect £51 for 2.5 litres, with holiday-let potential makes good Launceston, a nice old country house Tranquil Waters. On affordable because it is more remote put it on at any price. If they put it up on what matters in life,” Ashby says. atelierellis.co.uk financial sense, according to Duncan there would cost £600,000 to £800,000, sale for £2.75 million (, £356,000), and it has too much, the market will fizzle out.” “They are saying, ‘I want time to relax Ley, the director of Humberts Cornwall, whereas the same house in Helford through Savills. Above: attracted an artistic crowd in recent Claire Williams, 44, hopes that all the and live the best life that I can, with the W Absolute which recently sold three holiday would be £1.5 million to £1.7 million.” a waterfront house years; the north Cornish coast is more city slickers looking for new healthy time that I have left, with the people that matt emulsion in cottages in one month at Maenporth The Helford Estuary, on the south overlooking surfy and seasonal, while the south coast lives will buy Sandy Acres, her 124-acre I love.’ That is the overriding factor, and Portland Stone Pale, Estate near Falmouth; usually they sell coast near Falmouth, is one of the harbour is on the is more yachty, although Falmouth family estate and business on the beach buyers are no longer waiting. If they £47 for 2.5 litres, two in a year. “Normally only 30 per most exclusive locations in Cornwall market for £4 million (£462,069) has a more year-round in , near St Ives. It comprises three Top: a former blacksmith’s cottage were indifferent about the idea in the littlegreene.com cent of our deals are for second homes, (average sale price on a detached home with Knight Frank population and creative, studenty feel. houses, eight holiday lodges, a yurt, near is on sale for £465,000 past, they are getting off the fence. U Estate emulsion in but right now it is 70 per cent.” £1.159 million over the past five years, Don’t be too put off by tales of bidding 30-pitch campsite, beach café, surf with Knight Frank. Above: Tintagel When things happen that blindside you, School House White, Work-from-home culture is also according to Zoopla), behind only wars in prime locations. “Buyers are still school, yoga hut and car park. It is on is walkable from Treabrea Lodge, it changes your view. People are really For more options £47.95 for 2.5 litres, boosting demand as commuters realise Rock (£1.193 million) and St Mawes looking for value and won’t buy at any the market for £8 million with Carter on the market for £2.5 million living now, and it is being expressed in visit thetimes.co.uk farrow-ball.com that they can attend Zoom meetings just (£1.18 million), but ahead of Polzeath cost,” Cunliffe says. “I don’t think this is Jonas, and also available in separate through John Bray the Cornish property market.”