Welcome to LL&Co’s Cornwall Property Market Report for April 2025. We keep a close eye on what’s happening across the market so you don’t have to, whether you’re renting, buying or investing in Cornwall.
To give you the full picture, let’s start with a quick look at what’s going on in the UK as a whole.
UK Housing Market: April 2025 Overview
April brought a bit of a mixed bag for the UK housing market. Following the recent stamp duty changes, we saw some cooling in price growth, but it’s not a downturn – more of a recalibration.
Nationwide reported that house prices dipped by 0.6% in April, with annual growth slowing to 3.4%. This follows a busy March where lots of buyers rushed to complete before the temporary stamp duty cuts ended. Nationwide expects things to pick back up over the summer thanks to rising wages, low unemployment and possible interest rate cuts.
Zoopla’s data backs this up. Their House Price Index shows UK house prices up 1.6% year-on-year, with more properties coming to market and sales agreed up 6%. With mortgage affordability tests easing slightly, buyers may find their budget goes further this year.
Regionally, the North West is seeing the strongest price growth at 8.0%, while London is lagging behind at just 1.7%. Rental prices, meanwhile, are still climbing. The average UK rent hit £1,332 in March, up 7.7% in a year. England’s average is now £1,386, Wales is at £792 and Scotland sits at £1,001.
In short: yes, growth has slowed, but there’s still strong demand and a decent level of activity. It’s very much a live market.
What’s Happening in the UK Rental Market?
Rents across the UK are still on the rise, although the pace has started to ease slightly. The ONS says rents increased by 7.7% in the 12 months to March 2025, with England seeing a 7.8% rise, Wales up 8.9%, and Scotland at 5.7%. Northern Ireland also saw an 8.2% increase (latest figures from January).
Even though more rental homes are hitting the market (up 18% on last year), demand is still high. Rightmove reports average rents outside London rose 0.6% over the last three months to £1,349, while London rents nudged up just 0.1% to £2,698.
There are now around 12 tenants per property on average (down from 16 last year), so competition is still intense. Zoopla reckons demand will continue to outstrip supply this year, although rent rises may slow to 3–4% as affordability hits its limit.
Cornwall Property Market: What Happened in April 2025?
Now let’s bring it closer to home. In March, Cornwall’s average house price hit £305,000 – a 2.7% annual rise. The South West as a whole has stayed strong, especially in rural and coastal areas. Places like St Ives and Padstow continue to be popular with second-home buyers, pushing prices higher, while more affordable inland areas are growing at a slower pace.
More recently, figures for February show Cornwall’s average house price at £288,000 – up 1.1% on the year. This is slightly behind the wider South West average of 3.9%. The difference is partly down to tax changes: the new 100% council tax surcharge on second homes has led to more properties coming to market, which has eased prices in some spots. From January to February, prices dipped by 0.3%.
On the rental side, Cornwall is still seeing strong growth. The average private rent hit £952 in March, up 8.7% over the year – well above the regional average of 5.4%. That shows how high demand is holding firm.
Cornwall Rental Market Snapshot: April 2025
There are now 544 properties available to rent in Cornwall, with 140 of those newly listed in the past two weeks. Supply is clearly increasing, but prices aren’t falling – demand is matching pace.
Current listings cover a wide range: 222 properties are priced between £500 and £1,000 pcm, and 252 between £1,000 and £2,000 pcm. At the top end, 49 properties are listed between £2,000 and £5,000 pcm, and five are priced above £5,000. Only 16 properties are available under £500, so budget options are scarce.
When you break it down by property size:
1-bed: £815 pcm
2-bed: £1,029 pcm
3-bed: £1,325 pcm
4-bed: £1,988 pcm
5-bed: £2,521 pcm
By property type:
Rooms: £634 pcm
Flats: £1,174 pcm
Houses: £1,417 pcm
So while more choice is becoming available, rents remain high, and affordability is still a key issue.
Spotlight on Helston: April 2025
Helston has 10 rental properties currently listed. The average rent is £1,200 pcm, with the median at £1,175. Most homes sit in the £500–£2,000 pcm range. There’s only one property listed above £2,000, and none under £500.
Breakdown by size:
2-bed: £875 pcm
3-bed: £1,213 pcm
4-bed: £1,600 pcm
5-bed: £2,200 pcm
There are no 1-bed properties available this month.
By type:
Houses: 6 listed, avg £1,442 pcm
Flats: 3 listed, avg £875 pcm
Rooms: 1 listed, £725 pcm
Helston’s market is small but steady, with a focus on mid-size family homes. Lower-cost rentals are limited, and larger properties dominate.
That’s it for this month’s update. If you want more detail on anything mentioned here, or you’re thinking about buying, selling, renting or letting in Cornwall, we’re here to help.
Click here to get in touch.
