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The cheapest and most expensive seaside towns
Prices are highest in the south of England but rising fastest in some Welsh towns
Sam covers personal finance topics, from the best savings rates to the reasons mortgage lenders say no. He enjoys crunching the numbers to help consumers get ahead.
Have you dreamed of early morning walks on the beach, a dip in the sea or a drink by the water at sunset?
Coastal living is often associated with pricey property hotspots such as Sandbanks and Salcombe. But research by Rightmove suggests many seaside locations are more affordable than you might think.
More than 80% of the coastal areas it analysed had an average asking price below the national average of £378,304.
Here, we reveal the most affordable spots by the sea, the seaside towns with the fastest-rising house prices, and the coastal areas where prices rival London boroughs.
The most expensive seaside towns
The South East and South West dominate the list of Britain's most expensive seaside towns. The two priciest locations, both in Dorset, have average asking prices that rival some London boroughs.
However, the average asking price in Sandbanks, Britain's most expensive seaside town, is £1.1m, which is still some way below that of Kensington and Chelsea. The average asking price in London's most expensive borough is just over £1.7m.
Interestingly, only two of the 10 most expensive seaside towns have recorded a year-on-year increase in asking price. Canford Cliffs and Shoreham-by-Sea both saw asking prices rise by 4% over the past year.
One town that didn't make the top 10, but is regularly cited as a property hotspot, is Salcombe in Devon.
When we checked Rightmove on 16 June, there were 21 homes for sale in Salcombe with an asking price of at least £1m. The most expensive, a Grade II-listed manor house, was listed for close to £5m.
| Sandbanks | South West | £1,119,945 | -4% |
| Canford Cliffs | South West | £1,045,533 | 4% |
| Lymington | South East | £545,926 | -1% |
| Barton On Sea | South East | £496,143 | -2% |
| Lyme Regis | South West | £474,417 | -7% |
| St Ives | South West | £461,959 | -7% |
| Shoreham-by-Sea | South East | £455,939 | 4% |
| Swanage | South West | £455,347 | -3% |
| Sidmouth | South West | £450,971 | -6% |
| Saltdean | South East | £449,007 | -1% |
Source: Rightmove
- Find out more: what's happening to house prices
Which seaside towns have the fastest-rising house prices?
While southern England dominates the list of the most expensive seaside towns, many coastal locations in Wales are seeing some of the fastest-rising asking prices.
Not far from Cardiff, Penarth has recorded year-on-year asking price growth of 8%.
If you enjoy a dip in the sea and hiking in stunning scenery, several of the Welsh coastal towns with rising house prices are also close to national parks.
Bangor is just a 20-minute drive from Eryri National Park, while Penarth and Llantwit Major are both less than an hour by car from Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
Welsh towns make up most of the list, but it's two areas in north-west England where prices are rising fastest. Bootle is the only location where asking prices have risen by more than 10% year-on-year. For context, Rightmove's latest data shows that the average asking price of a UK home has fallen over the past year.
Helensburgh is the only Scottish location to feature in the top 10 seaside towns with the fastest-growing asking prices. It's less than an hour from Glasgow and just a few miles from Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area and the second largest by volume, behind Loch Ness.
| Bootle | North West | £141,680 | 11% |
| Crosby | North West | £330,900 | 9% |
| Penarth | Wales | £433,081 | 8% |
| Llantwit Major | Wales | £340,033 | 8% |
| Llanelli | Wales | £201,570 | 7% |
| Wallasey | North West | £200,753 | 7% |
| Bangor | Wales | £220,622 | 7% |
| Porthcawl | Wales | £359,412 | 6% |
| Barrow-in-Furness | North West | £185,169 | 6% |
| Helensburgh | Scotland | £247,953 | 6% |
Source: Rightmove
- Find out more: 5 ways to find out how much your home is worth
The most affordable seaside towns
If you're looking for affordable property by the sea, the north of England is your best bet, according to Rightmove's research.
Ayr is the only Scottish town to feature in the top 10 most affordable seaside locations. Five of the towns on the list are in north-west England.
| Peterlee | North East | £120,657 | -3% |
| Grimsby | Yorkshire and The Humber | £133,706 | 2% |
| Ashington | North East | £133,775 | 2% |
| Bootle | North West | £141,680 | 11% |
| Blackpool | North West | £142,277 | 1% |
| Fleetwood | North West | £147,910 | 2% |
| Birkenhead | North West | £148,942 | 4% |
| Workington | North West | £155,013 | 2% |
| Ayr | Scotland | £157,754 | 1% |
| Seaham | North East | £157,994 | -1% |
Source: Rightmove
What to consider first
When deciding where to live, there's a lot to weigh up, from local schools and transport links to whether the area suits the lifestyle you want.
Our guide to finding the best place to live sets out the key factors to consider before narrowing down your options.
Your budget will also play a big part. You can get a rough idea of what you might be able to borrow using our mortgage calculator, but it's important to keep an eye on mortgage rates to understand what you can realistically afford.
Mortgage rates have fallen from the highs seen in recent years, but the deals available will depend on factors such as your deposit size and loan-to-value (LTV) ratio.
If you're considering a tracker mortgage, make sure you're comfortable with the possibility that your monthly repayments could rise if interest rates increase.
- Find out more: can you still get a mortgage rate below 4%?
Advice on buying a house
Whether you're about to start viewing properties or are in the process of saving for a deposit, we’re here to help.
For those looking for a mortgage, we've found the best mortgage lenders and reviewed more than 20 providers. We also spotlight the top mortgage rates, which are updated daily.
To ensure nothing gets missed before the big move, check out our moving house checklist.
