Newquay is one place tipped to become a hotspot

Although prices have risen in parts of Devon and Cornwall as people invest in holiday homes, Bradford & Bingley Estate Agents believes there are still places that have not yet benefited.

It is tipping Newquay, Penzance and areas of Cornwall's north coast and parts of Norfolk as good places to invest in a second home.

Colin Benney, of Bradford & Bingley, singled out Portreath and Porthtowan, both of which had good beaches and were in line for regeneration.

Priced out

Villages towards the northern coast of The Wash, including Sedgeford, Ringstead, Docking and Snettisham in Norfolk also look set to become potential hotspots

The estate agent says people wanting to buy a second home should look for somewhere with easy access to beaches and good transport links.

"Although prices have rocketed in many areas of popular holiday counties over recent years, there are still reasonably-priced properties available but you have to know where to look," said Mr Benney.

"My advice to those looking to buy for next summer is to consider the current less popular areas."

But there are more empty homes in the South West than anywhere else in the UK according to a recent reports.

Cornwall topped the league in the GMB union study, with 6,000 empty homes and nearly 11,000 second homes - 7.2% of homes in the county.

In north Cornwall alone, there are 4,900 second homes, 8.2 % of the total housing stock.