The south-west is a "popular place to be" for both young buyers and retired people, it has been suggested.

With an estimated 440,000 people moving from other parts of the country to live in the region between 1996 and 2006, local estate agents have explained that a number of powerful factors are driving interest in the area.

Rob McCabe, a spokesperson for the Southwest Property Network, explained: "[Buyers] perceive if the weather is better down here, if they''ve got beaches, if they''ve got walks and forests and countryside then they''re buying into a way of life."

He pointed out that it is still possible to find a "reasonably priced" home in the south-west and that the region offers strong transport links, something which could prove particularly useful for the young professionals buying in the area.

"There is commuter access through roads and railways, so they are able to commute to the city or wherever they want to work," Mr McCabe said.

Retired people are also heading to the south-west in search of a better quality of life, he added.