On this day in Wembury — 22 December 1994

The Plymouth Extra’s weekly property supplement carried a clutch of classified requests that capture the late-1994 market: one notice flagged “£42,000 – early decision available”; another said “Mrs L from Plymouth would like to buy a 3-bedroom home in Plymstock, Wembury or Heybrook Bay up to £80,000, to be settled by Easter”; and “Mr and Mrs N require a 3-bedroom bungalow in a level location for wheelchair access, preferably in Plymstock, Elburton or Wembury, up to £80,000, urgent purchase required in the New Year.” In simple CPI terms, £80,000 in 1994 is roughly £170,000–£190,000 today, yet coastal and village homes in Wembury and Heybrook Bay have risen far faster than inflation, with typical sales now several times that figure. The supplement itself was thick with agency pages and private ads in the pre-internet era; by contrast, the same demand today is funnelled almost entirely through online portals like Rightmove, with large scale weekly print advertising largely a thing of the past.

(Source: Plymouth Extra, 22 December 1994 — property wanted adverts.)