West Portholland | $2.47 million (£1.85 million)
A 19th-century farm reconfigured as a sprawling country home
This four-bedroom, three-bathroom home is in West Portholland, a tiny seaside hamlet in the county of Cornwall, which forms a 1,375-square-mile peninsula on England’s southwestern tip. The hamlet sits on Cornwall’s Roseland Peninsula, a government-designated “area of outstanding natural beauty” protected from development.
The property was a working farm until the early 20th century. A previous owner bought the estate in the 1970s and later merged its main farmhouse and barns into a single 3,408-square-foot residence. The current occupants bought the house in 2012 and added a small wing with a living room and a primary bedroom with a dressing room and a balcony.
For shopping and services, locals travel three miles southwest to the larger village of Veryan or north to Tregony, with establishments like the 16th-century King’s Arms pub. Portholland Beach, surrounded by cliffs, is a half-mile east of the home. Cornwall Airport Newquay, with flights across Europe, is about 40 minutes north.
Short-term rentals are permitted in Cornwall, and there are no restrictions on most foreign buyers in Britain. All buyers pay the Stamp Duty Land Tax, which rises to a maximum of 12 percent based on a home’s value. Nonresidents also pay a 2 percent surcharge. There is a 0.05 percent registration fee, payable to the government’s HM Land Registry, and notary or legal fees can total between 0.5 and 1 percent of the total transaction cost. Buyers must engage a property solicitor or licensed conveyancer (local terms for an attorney) to complete a home purchase.
Size: 3,408 square feet
Price per square foot: $722
Indoors: To the right of the entry hallway is an open-plan living and dining area; to the left are two bedrooms with a shared bathroom. A passage added by the previous owner connects both sides. The renovated kitchen, with a British-made Aga stove, is behind the dining room and opens to a sitting room added by the current owners.
Inside the converted barn is a recreation area and a large sitting room with an open vaulted ceiling and a fireplace with a wood-burning stove.