Cornish development gets boost from TV duo

The marketing agents of a luxury development of Cornish holiday cottages have reported an unprecedented upturn in interest thanks to its recent appearance on Channel 4's Relocation, Relocation programme.

Knight Frank, the sole agent for Green Acres in Penpillick near Lostwithiel, has received over 100 enquiries since the programme aired earlier this month, with 40 calls coming through in the morning after the popular property programme was shown. As a result, a significant number of viewings have been booked and two offers have already been made on the properties.

Green Acres is a collection of 10 Cornish stone-faced holiday properties set within two acres of land and has recently received the South West Tourism four-star grading. The complex includes a spa facility with indoor heated pool, as well as the Green Acres Garden Farm - an allotment from which homegrown produce can be purchased. The site has year-round holiday occupancy status and despite being shown as a building site when Phil Spencer visited it for filming, it is now build complete and has already hosted its first holidaymakers.

"We've been thrilled with the amount of interest that Phil and Kirstie generated in the development," commented Gail Streatfeild of Knight Frank.

"Phil did a fantastic job in selling the benefits of Green Acres to his clients on the TV show when they visited, especially its rental guarantee scheme. The couple seemed to genuinely love the site and for those that watched the episode, that was quite a hard feat given the lukewarm reception they had given several other properties. Unfortunately the couple decided not to invest in a holiday home altogether, but the positive reception Green Acres received as a result of the TV cameras really seems to have sparked renewed interest with viewers. In times like these it just goes to show that there are buyers out there as long as you're able to reach them."

Green Acres' travel company, Travel Smith Holidays, has already taken a number of advance bookings for 2009, including several repeat bookings from customers that have already stayed.

"With the trend for holidaying at home set to rise in 2009, investments like this are catching people's attention," added Gail Streatfeild. "The site was 94% full in October, which was its first month of opening and not a traditionally popular month for Cornish holidays. We regard the cottages as a very sound long term investment with an immediate sensible yield. Thanks in part to Phil and Kirstie, we're now speaking to many more interested parties and hope that Green Acres will continue to be a real success story in the current climate."

Holiday homes at Green Acres are priced from £259,000 - £275,000 for a two-bedroom, two or three-bathroom cottage to include a full contents and equipment package designed to fit with the South West Tourism four-star standard. A full lettings service is also available should it be required.

For more information log on to Knightfrank.com.