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Cliff house, torCross, devoncoastal retreat, says Bingham-Chick.
Take Frenchmans Creek, in Dartmouth.
Originally bought as a bungalow, the current
owner upgraded the property extensively,
installing modern features such as app
controlled lighting, state-of-the-art Miele
appliances, a swimming pool, gym, six-
person sauna and steam room, plus a media
room. Savills describes the house, priced in
excess of £5 million, as “a unique work of
art”. It also boasts amazing coastal views
with a location next to Blackpool Sands.
“Whilst such properties are unique in
terms of their design, it would be fair to
say they are not unique in terms of their
scale and location,” she says. “For many of
our properties, you only need to look at the
location to see why people want to move to
the coast. Parts of the region are also very
well connected in terms of transport, and it is
perfectly feasible for home owners to go from
the beach to London in under four hours.”“ ORF MAnY OF OUR pROpERTIES,
YOU OnlY nEEd TO lOOK AT ThE
lOCATIOn TO SEE whY pEOplE
wAnT TO MOvE TO ThE COAST”
are looking to buy second homes in Devon as
they spent their childhood in the area. Others
have holidayed here with their own children
and want a more permanent base. A lot of it is
based on nostalgia.”
Property values in Devon can vary
greatly, from a two-bedroom cottage at circa
£300,000 to a multi-million pound property
on the Dartmouth hills. Knight Frank’s
Tolmie-Thomson says that if you add a
waterfront view to a property, values increase
significantly, as more buyers seek a move to
the coast away from the hustle and bustle of
London. Unsurprisingly, contemporary new-
builds are being developed in key hotspots on
the north and south coasts such as Salcombe
and South Hams.
However, buyers of such developments
are drawn to their location next to the water,
rather than the houses themselves. Many
buyers will purchase a property with the
intent to renovate and create their “perfect”MT Aug19 83-84 property country.indd 85 30/07/2019 11:54