Where to live by the sea: the UK’s ten most expensive coastal towns revealed

Sandbanks in Dorset has once again been named the UK’s most expensive seaside town as average house prices in the picturesque resort edge close to GBP1million.According to Halifax’s annual seaside towns review, which tracks house price movements in 191 locations across the UK, the average home in the beach resort near Bournemouth now sells for a whopping GBP929,187.Located on a peninsula, Sandbanks’ golden sandy beaches and proximity to Poole Harbour have earned it a reputation as a ‘millionaire’s playground’, home to ex-footballers and pop stars.This year the Dorset town re-took the title from last year’s winner Salcombe in Devon where the average price reaches GBP912,18.Salcombe in Devon was last year’s top spot / Shutterstock / Sarah PerringSeaside towns across the south coast dominate the top 10, with other hotspots including Padstow in Cornwall, Lymington near the New Forest and Aldeburgh in Suffolk. According to statistics, seaside homes are more in demand than ever before the pandemic. Although many workers returned to capital following the lockdowns many Londoners still move to the coast to escape the city. Lextons, an estate agent in Brighton, has seen prices rise by up 25 percent over the past three year. Simon Caplin, director of auctions, said that a house worth GBP400,000 in 2019 was revalued to GBP500,000 last week. He said: “Typically, we launch a property on Friday afternoon for a block view to take place one week later. After that, we will show over 30 buyers. We will receive anywhere from 15 offers from these viewings. “Padstow was third / ShutterstockResearch from estate agent comparison site GetAgent found that seaside towns outperform the rest of the market, and have seen the highest annual price rise of 13.2%. They are performing better than market towns, new towns, and historic towns. Colby Short, founder and CEO of GetAgent.co.uk said: “While the worst is over, the impact of the pandemic on the property market remains. GetAgent’s research by estate agent comparison site GetAgent has shown that seaside and market town prices have seen the largest annual price increase of 13.2%. This shows that homebuyers still value the slower pace of living and the benefits associated with being closer to the coast and rural areas. The UK’s least expensive beach town was Campbelltown on the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland. There, the average house price was GBP91,201. However, prices are increasing in other Scottish beaches. Millport, on the island, Great Cumbrae, was the cheapest beach town last year, increasing by 53 percent. However, prices are rising in other Scottish coastal towns. Margate, Kent, saw the largest 10-year increase in average house prices at GBP282,734. Russell Galley, Halifax’s managing director, stated: “Our continuing love affair with the sea shows no signs of abating. The coast has always attracted a premium price and this trend continued in 2021. People are increasingly choosing to live on the coast. The average seaside home cost GBP287.087, an eight percent increase over the previous year. “Whether it’s the lifestyle you want, the scenery, or the sea air, we love being near the seaside when it comes time to buy homes. Millport, on the Scottish island of Great Cumbrae was the biggest beneficiary of this desire last year. Over the last five years it was Port Bannatyne, on the Isle of Bute. “The locations along the south coast are the most desirable for seaside towns, with Sandbanks in Dorset claiming the title of the most expensive seaside resort from Salcombe in Devon last year. Both towns have an average house price of more than GBP900,000. The 10 most expensive UK beach townsTownAverage house priceSandbanksGBP929,187SalcombeGBP912,187PadstowGBP588,090LymingtonGBP565,790AldeburghGBP515,444FoweyGBP491,042DartmouthGBP485,760Lyme RegisGBP473,861East WitteringGBP472,364KingsbridgeGBP464,858