The desirable UK seaside towns where homebuyers are flocking to
Seaside towns in Merseyside and Wales have become Britain’s fastest-growing property hotspots, defying the wider national slowdown in house price rises, new analysis reveals.
Bootle on Merseyside is leading the rise, with average asking prices rising an impressive 11 per cent last year, according to property website Rightmove.
Despite this significant increase, the average price in the town on the outskirts of Liverpool remains well below the national average of £141,680.
Another Merseyside location, Crosby, took second place with a 9 per cent year-on-year increase in average house prices to £330,900.
Wales also features prominently in the top rankings, with some towns seeing significant increases. Llantwit Major in south Glamorgan recorded an 8 per cent increase, while Llanelli in Carmarthenshire recorded a 7 per cent increase.
Penarth, near Cardiff, saw an 8 per cent increase to an average of £433,081; making it the most expensive of the 10 fastest-growing regions and the only region to exceed the national average.
This local boom contrasts sharply with the wider UK market, where the average asking price for a property coming on the market in May was £378,304.
Overall, average asking prices across Britain are 0.3 per cent lower than last year, highlighting how coastal areas are bucking the trend.
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Despite these specific increases, Rightmove noted that coastal living remains generally more affordable than in many other parts of the country. In about 80 per cent of nearly 100 coastal areas analyzed, where at least 20 new homes were listed, average prices were below the national figure.
But Sandbanks in Poole remains the UK’s most expensive seaside location, with an average price tag of £1.12 million.
Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert, commented: “The fastest-growing seaside markets this year show demand for coastal homes remains resilient, even as overall price growth across the UK remains more moderate.
“While some locations are seeing strong price increases, there are many areas where living by the sea is more affordable, offering buyers a wider range of options depending on their budget.
“We also see realistically priced homes continuing to attract interest, particularly where price growth is supported by buyer demand.”
British coastal areas with highest annual house price growth
According to Rightmove, the 10 coastal locations with the highest annual house price increases and their average sales prices are as follows:
1. Bootle, Merseyside, up 11% to £141,680
2. Crosby, Merseyside, up 9% to £330,900
3. Penarth, South Glamorgan, Wales, up 8% to £433,081
4. Llantwit Major, South Glamorgan, Wales, up 8% to £340,033
5. Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, Wales, up 7% to £201,570
6. Wallasey, Merseyside, up 7% to £200,753
7. Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales, up 7% to £220,622
8. Porthcawl, South Glamorgan, Wales, up 6% to £359,412
9. Barrow-In-Furness, Cumbria, up 6% to £185,169
10. Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, up 6% to £247,953
England’s most expensive seaside towns
Here are the 10 most expensive seaside towns in Britain, with average prices:
1. Sandbanks, Dorset, £1,119,945
2. Canford Cliffs, Dorset, £1,045,533
3. Lymington, Hampshire, £545,926
4. Barton on Sea, Hampshire, £496,143
5. Lyme Regis, Dorset, £474,417
6. St Ives, Cornwall, £461,959
7. Shoreham-By-Sea, West Sussex, £455,939
8. Swanage, Dorset, £455,347
9. Sidmouth, Devon, £450,971
10. Saltdean, East Sussex, £449,007
England’s cheapest seaside towns
In comparison, Britain’s 10 cheapest seaside towns with average asking prices include:
1. Peterlee, County Durham, £120,657
2. Grimsby, Lincolnshire, £133,706
3. Ashington, Northumberland, £133,775
4. Bootle, Merseyside, £141,680
5. Blackpool, Lancashire, £142,277
6. Fleetwood, Lancashire, £147,910
7. Birkenhead, Merseyside, £148,942
8.Workton, Cumbria, £155,013
9. Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland, £157,754
10. Seaham, County Durham, £157,994
