Salcombe is the UK's most popular second-home location

A new study by Lakeshore Leisure Group has revealed that the UK’s city dwellers are most interested in second home properties located in Salcombe, Falmouth and North Berwick.

The study analysed the Google search history of over 100 UK cities since the beginning of the first national Covid lockdown, to find which coastal and rural locations were being searched for the most in relation to second-homes and holiday homes.

Urban inhabitants are most interested in second homes in South West locations, with Salcombe, Falmouth, St Ives, Brixham and Newquay all in the top six most Googled holiday home towns, and Scotland’s North Berwick and Yorkshire’s Whitby making the top ten.

The Rural Appeal

The combination of Brexit and the Covid pandemic has prompted city dwellers to find a way to regularly escape their urban homes and guarantee a much-needed holiday escape whilst international leisure travel remains so uncertain.

The huge increase in interest for a semi-permanent rural escape since the start of Covid is easily evidenced in people’s online behaviour; Google Trends1 shows an all-time high for ‘second home’ searches in July 2020 which have remained high into 2021, and rising property prices in the South West and other rural towns and villages across the UK prove the interest is turning into serious demand.

Where UK Cities Want Second Homes, According to Google Data

Rank	Second-Home Location	‘Second home’ searches made by UK cities since April 2020
1	Salcombe, Devon	19,990
2	Falmouth, Cornwall	12,370
3	North Berwick, East Lothian	12,140
4	St Ives, Cornwall	11,550
5	Newquay, Cornwall	10,470
6	Brixham, Devon	9,270
7	Bournemouth, Dorset	9,220
8	Whitstable, Kent	8,800
9	Whitby, Yorkshire	7,910
10	Weymouth, Dorset	7,500
11	Tenby, Pembrokeshire	7,350
12	Torquay, Devon	7,200
13	Blackpool, Lancashire	6,790
14	Padstow, Cornwall	6,180
15	Ullapool, Ross & Cromarty	6,170
16	Scarborough, Yorkshire	5,780
17	Great Yarmouth, Norfolk	5,330
18	Bude, Cornwall	5,280
19	Lyme Regis, Dorset	4,660
20	Filey, Yorkshire	4,650

Making Second-Homes More Sustainable

Lakeshore Leisure Group has benefitted from this demand, selling holiday home lodges at its brand new Clawford Lakes development to people looking for a rural escape in Devon, but the company is aware that the increase in second-home purchases isn’t always beneficial to local communities as it can distort local property prices and price local residents out of the market. Their model ensures huge benefits to the buyer such as the opportunity to make significant rental income when not in use, a property managed year-round by Clawford Lakes and no stamp duty or council tax to pay. And, because the lodges are all based on a managed holiday site, owners will not be buying bricks and mortar property in the surrounding towns and villages which means less inflation of the local housing market.

Stephen Twiss, CEO at Lakeshore Leisure Group commented: “We want to provide a way for people to enjoy the beautiful rural areas of the UK whenever they want to, for however long they want, but in a way that is supportive rather than detrimental to local communities. Our new holiday lodges at Clawford Lakes offer a relaxing escape at a really low purchase price compared to waterside properties in similar locations; however, these luxury lodges don’t price locals out of the housing market. Our lodge owners and guests help boost the local economy all year around, our sites provide jobs for local people, and all whilst protecting the properties of rural residents.”

The Most Popular Places to Escape Urban Life

Salcombe: This pretty seaside town has been on people’s holiday home radar long before Covid came along, but since the pandemic the interest has kicked up a gear. Nestled in Devon’s picturesque South Hams area, the town is famous for its sailing community, being the home of Jack Wills and its ice cream. According to Right Move2 Salcombe’s house prices are up 8% to a pricey average of £866,000 for a detached property.
Falmouth: Another familiar name for boat lovers, Falmouth on Cornwall’s south coast is a quaint harbour town that lots of city dwellers would like a holiday home in. Despite Rick Stein’s recent announcement that he is permanently closing his fish and chips restaurant in the town, locals here have a wealth of gorgeous eating establishments to choose from including The Wheel House and Restaurant FOUR. Homes here are considerably cheaper than Salcombe, averaging between £317,000 and £489,000.
North Berwick: This picturesque coastal town in East Lothian has access to incredibly beautiful beaches that will refresh and enliven its visitors. It’s been a popular second home choice for a while, thanks to its combination of a lively high street and town, whilst enjoying easy links to Scotland’s remote and wild countryside. Homes in North Berwick are averaging at just under half a million pounds.
St. Ives: City dwellers who want an exciting food and art scene will be drawn to a second home in north Cornwall’s St. Ives. With Tate St. Ives and other local artist galleries, the creative culture of this pretty sea side town has made it a popular holiday home location for urbanites for years. The average price for a terraced house is currently just under £400,000.
Newquay: The third Cornish location in the second-homes top five, Newquay has been popular with surfers and festival lovers for a while. Suited to water lovers, the famous beach caters to those who enjoy paddle boarding, surfing, sea kayaking and sea swimming. Detached properties are currently selling at an average of £468,000, and flats at £236,000.