As we enter a new year in Cornwall, estate agents are starting to see a gentle increase in the number of new instructions in the pipeline.

Our current issue is lack of supply as very little of note has come to the market since the Autumn. This is not unusual in a seasonally driven community. Past trends indicate that we will not get a clear picture of the 2012 market until February /March. In the meantime the existing market is largely made up of motivated sellers who are keen to secure a sale and move on.

We are currently assisting a number of astute clients who are utilising our knowledge of properties heading for the market in the Spring. We are able to pinpoint houses that are not yet ready for marketing but whose vendors are prepared to consider a pre-market sale.

We saw an increase last year in people leaving built up areas elsewhere in the UK, to bring family and small businesses to Cornwall. The popularity of this lifestyle choice looks likely to continue, having a significant impact on the demand for family homes.

There is no sign of unusually high levels of second homes coming to the market in the Spring indicating that properties with the “wow factor” are likely to continue to hold their value relative to the rest of the market.