"Sandbanks now stands out as the only seaside spot with an average asking price of over the million-pound mark"
- Colleen Babcock - Rightmove
New figures from Rightmove show that Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset, remains the most expensive coastal location in Great Britain, with an average asking price of £1,282,565.
Canford Cliffs, also in Poole, ranks second with an average of £974,635, followed by Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire at £728,460. Sandbanks is now the only seaside location in the country where average asking prices exceed £1 million. In comparison, the national average asking price stands at £378,240.
Rightmove’s analysis reveals that across the 50 priciest coastal areas, average asking prices have declined by 1% year-on-year, while buyer demand has increased by 8%.
Top 10 most expensive seaside locations:
Sandbanks, Poole – £1,282,565 (-3% YoY)
Canford Cliffs, Poole – £974,635 (-9% YoY)
Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire – £728,460 (+1% YoY)
Lymington, Hampshire – £639,316 (-2% YoY)
Budleigh Salterton, Devon – £535,761 (0% YoY)
St Ives, Cornwall – £507,139 (-2% YoY)
Dartmouth, Devon – £500,006 (+4% YoY)
Sidmouth, Devon – £494,811 (-5% YoY)
Whitstable, Kent – £469,586 (-2% YoY)
Hythe, Kent – £466,898 (0% YoY)
At the other end of the spectrum, Saltcoats in Ayrshire, Scotland is the most affordable coastal area, with an average asking price of £122,208. Peterlee in County Durham is close behind at £122,246, and Ashington in Northumberland follows at £135,050.
Saltcoats also recorded the fastest annual price growth among coastal areas, with a 13% increase compared to the previous year. The average asking price in the town remains more than £250,000 below the national average, making it one of the most accessible seaside locations for buyers.
Top 10 most affordable seaside locations:
Saltcoats, Ayrshire – £122,208 (+13% YoY)
Peterlee, County Durham – £122,246 (+6% YoY)
Ashington, Northumberland – £135,050 (+4% YoY)
Bootle, Merseyside – £135,208 (+3% YoY)
Grimsby, Lincolnshire – £142,072 (0% YoY)
Blackpool, Lancashire – £142,804 (0% YoY)
Fleetwood, Lancashire – £148,101 (+1% YoY)
Birkenhead, Merseyside – £149,527 (+2% YoY)
Blyth, Northumberland – £153,487 (+1% YoY)
Workington, Cumbria – £158,956 (0% YoY)
“Sandbanks now stands out as the only seaside spot with an average asking price of over the million-pound mark,” said Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove. “By contrast, lower-priced seaside spots like Saltcoats and Peterlee offer home-movers a sea view at a fraction of the price, with average asking prices over a quarter of a million pounds below the national average.”
Mary Lou-Press, president of naea Propertymark, noted, “With huge social and economic changes happening, especially over the past decade, trends have shifted, meaning homeowners are looking for varying characteristics and locations, making rural, seaside and picturesque areas much more appealing. In particular, seaside locations are desirable for many people of all demographics, and with popularity comes heightened house prices, which can price many locals out of the housing market.
"Considering that the average house price of coastal homes has only slightly dipped, and buyer demand has increased, ongoing economic turbulence doesn't seem to have overly affected the market or dented the confidence of buyers of coastal locations.”
