Holiday home to rent in St Ives, Cornwall for £7k was council house

The beachfront pad known as The Sunset House was sold four years ago to a bidder for £1,440,000, way over the £625,000 guide price.

The old council home – formerly owned by Devon and Cornwall Housing – enjoyed one of the finest views of the UK coastline but was sold in an almost derelict condition.

The new owners have since demolished it and rebuilt a property in the prime location above Porthmeor beach, in St Ives.

And while they are said to be planning to use it as a retirement home in future, it has now been listed as an up-market holiday let.

Cornish Gems is offering the accommodation for up to eight guests, with four sea view ensuite bedrooms, at a weekly price peaking at £7,395 for a week stay, and £2,624 for a two-night break between November to March.

Philippa Snell, head of sales and marketing at Cornish Gems, said: "We feel honoured to have a window of opportunity to share Sunset House for luxury holidays, before the owner retires to their forever home.

"The transformation, which has been over three years in the making, has been overseen by specialist local contractors and architects working hand-in-hand with the Cornish family.

"The house with four en-suite bedrooms occupies a unique vantage point location, elevated above Porthmeor beach and comes complete with beautifully appointed interiors and high-spec amenities – offering a truly one-of-a-kind, luxury home with a reflective price point.

A Google Street View image of the Sunset House prior to rennovation

"Since going live on our website on May 6, we’ve already secured some bookings and expect more interest to follow when the full gallery of images is available shortly.

"We anticipate those guests who chose to stay, while Sunset House is available via Cornish Gems, will be just as mesmerised as we were when stepping foot inside – it is breathtakingly beautiful."

The planning application for the new house was submitted on behalf of new owners Mr and Mrs Harris, and was approved by Cornwall Council.

The application read: “Sunset is an existing ex-council house, formerly owned by Devon and Cornwall Housing (DCH). The property was purchased in 2017 by the current owners, Mr and Mrs Harris.

“Their plan is to reside in St Ives in the new home for the long-term.

“In replacing the existing building, the aim is to provide an overall visual improvement, reflecting the special character of St Ives.

“The new home would be on a similar footprint, with improved off-street parking, and while avoiding any significant increase in height, it will be more energy efficient, more accessible and better suited to its surroundings."

Views from the holiday home. Picture: Elliot White Photography/SWNS

DCH said proceeds of the sale would fund at least ten new affordable homes in Cornwall.

The new owners, Mr and Mrs Harris, demolished the property in 2019 to build what has been described as a modern day beach house with 'understated luxury'.

Mr Harris added: "I’ve always wanted to retire back home in Cornwall and when I saw the derelict house for sale, I thought it was an opportunity too good to miss.

"Whilst my financial investment may not make sense from a business perspective, I’m comfortable with how much it has cost.

"For me this has been a hugely personal project, to create a very special retirement home.

"When I move into the property it will be removed from the rental market. Meanwhile, it makes financial sense to make the house available for holidays and save it from sitting empty, helping to support independent local businesses and the Cornish tourism economy.”

The cost of the let was criticised by some locals on Facebook.

One wrote: "Not bad for an ex-council house. It used to be £90 a week to live there."