According to new research, Bournemouth was the top-rated seaside spot for house hunters this past year.
Rightmove identified Britain’s top ten most-in-demand coastline areas based upon the greatest number of buyers who contacted it via their website.
It is followed by Southampton and Hampshire. Brighton, East Sussex comes in second, while the South Coast dominates.
Rightmove identified the top ten most sought-after coastal locations in Britain
The top ten list also includes Blackpool, Lancashire – a coastal resort known for its amusement arcades and donkey rides – where prices have increased 8 per cent in the past year to £137,301.
Compare this to the average home price in the 10 most desirable locations which increased by 6 percentage points last year.
It is just ahead of the national average rise of 5 per cent, from £318,188, to £333,037. These numbers are calculated using an average of January to November 2020, compared with January-November 2021.
Rightmove has also listed the top coastal places that experienced the highest house price increases this year.
Padstow in Cornwall topped that list of coastal hotspots, with prices rising 20 per cent this year, from from £548,382, to £658,588.
According to Rightmove, Bournemouth is the most sought-after seaside destination for house hunters (pictured).
| Rank | Lage | 2021 Average asking price | 2020 Average Asking Price | The average asking price will increase by 20% in 2021, compared to 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padstow in Cornwall | £658,588 | £548,382 | 20% |
| 2 | Whitby, North Yorkshire | £254,218 | £217,620 | 17% |
| 3 | St. Ives (Cornwall) | £473,161 | £411,484 | 15% |
| 4 | Porthcawl (County of), South Glamorgan and Bridgend | £307,051 | £270,505 | 14% |
| 5 | Mablethorpe (Lincolnshire) | £173,612 | £153,140 | 13% |
| 6 | Newquay (Cornwall) | £317,846 | £281,204 | 13% |
| 7 | Filey in North Yorkshire | £214,617 | £189,914 | 13% |
| 8 | Pwllheli, Gwynedd | £222,607 | £197,213 | 13% |
| 9 | Brixham, Devon | £299,127 | £266,604 | 12% |
| 10 | Preston, Paignton & Devon | £303,684 | £272,029 | 12% |
| Rightmove | ||||
It was followed by Whitby, in North Yorkshire, which came second, with prices rising 17 per cent from £217,620, to £254,218.
Cornwall’s St. Ives is in third place, with average values rising 15 per cent from £411,484 to £473,161.
You will pay more for a house that has a great view of the sea and is in ideally suited location.
Robin Gould, Prime Purchase
Robin Gould from Prime Purchase is the Director of the buying agency.
“However, you will pay more for a home with great views and a central location than a comparable house inland.
“A house on the frontline is worth 30% more than one that’s immediately behind.”
‘I just bought a home near Polzeath, north Cornwall. This was a frontline house with spectacular sea and coastal views.
The house had a very bland exterior, but most people could have been forgiven for the ever-changing view.
Brighton, pictured above is another popular location for homebuyers.
| Rank | Lage | Average asking prices 2021 | 2021 Average Time to Find a Buyer (Days) | Time to locate a buyer in 2021 and 2020 is different (days). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saltcoats (Ayrshire) | £111,419 | 19 | -35 |
| 2 | Troon, Ayrshire | £178,666 | 22 | -8 |
| 3 | Westward Ho, Bideford, Devon | £297,138 | 24 | -46 |
| 4 | Ayrshire, Ayrshire | £161,301 | 25 | -15 |
| 5 | Kessingland, Lowestoft, Suffolk | £219,538 | 25 | -22 |
| 6 | Littlehampton, West Sussex | £364,180 | 26 | -28 |
| 7 | Goring-By-Sea is Worthing in West Sussex | £396,078 | 26 | -23 |
| 8 | Marske-By-The-Sea Redcar, Cleveland | £181,882 | 28 | -15 |
| 9 | Canvey Island, Essex | £308,261 | 28 | -23 |
| 10 | Weymouth in Dorset | £283,585 | 29 | -25 |
| Rightmove | ||||
This year’s hot real estate market has seen a decrease in the average time taken to find buyers, which is a record-breaking number of days.
Average time to find buyers in the entire of 2021 was 44 days. This is 15% faster than what happened in 2020.
Saltcoats, Ayrshire has been the fastest coastal area to sell a home this year with an average of 19 days.
Troon in Ayrshire was second with 22 days. Westward Ho (Bideford, Devon) was third with 24 days.
Calshot beach, also known as Southampton was listed in this list. It is among the top ten most-in-demand areas along Britain’s coasts.
| Ranking | Lage | Asking price average | Increase in search volume 2021 versus 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morecambe, Lancashire | £164,424 | 32% |
| 2 | Blackpool, Lancashire | £137,301 | 21% |
| 3 | Great Yarmouth in Norfolk | £194,066 | 15% |
| 4 | Swansea (Wales) | £180,603 | 15% |
| 5 | Saltburn-By-The-Sea in Cleveland | £227,611 | 15% |
| 6 | Southampton, Hampshire | £249,053 | 14% |
| 7 | Llandudno and Conwy (County of). | £235,316 | 13% |
| 8 | Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, South West Wales | £319,587 | 12% |
| 9 | Southport on Merseyside | £215,838 | 12% |
| 10 | Scarborough, North Yorkshire | £191,879 | 12% |
| Rightmove | |||
Morecambe, Lancashire had the largest increase in beach buyer searches last year. It was up 32%, followed by Blackpool (up 21%) and Great Yarmouth (up 15%).
Rightmove’s Tim Bannister said that after a year in which coastal areas really caught the attention of British buyers it was interesting to look back at how the picture looked at the end.
The average asking price for Devon and Cornwall homeowners is up by 3% this year. Although this means that some residents may find it increasingly challenging to move up the ladder, the results are encouraging.
“The pace of the market this year is amazing, as seen by how long it takes to find a buyer, especially in Scotland.
“Overall, it was the year when, either because of changed lifestyle priorities or the possibility to work remotely from home, more people can live in coastal areas. This is evident in the data that we are seeing in our study.
