British people love the coast – and estate agents are starting to realise this.
According to the Independent, homes with uninterrupted views of water, in the most desirable locations, regularly sell for premiums of up to 50 per cent higher than on similar properties inland.
And even in more affordable areas, premiums can be 25 to 30 per cent higher.
When an 85-year-old beach hut sells for £500,000, as one recently did in Dorset's Burton Bradstock, it's obvious that the seaside property market is booming.
A recent report from the Halifax found that the most expensive seaside town was Sandbanks, Dorset, topping the list at an average price of £506,282.
First-time buyers, on average, are already spending 42 per cent of their take-home pay on mortgage repayments in inland areas – in coastal areas this increases to 49 per cent, according to Nationwide.
Some experts believe
celebrity chef Rick Stein may have something to do with the coastal regions' popularity. Stein, who first hit our airwaves in 1995, is continually singing the praises of British seafood on television.
Look to the North of England and you'll probably find a
property at a more reasonable price, say the experts. The North West has also registered the highest rate of capital appreciation over the past three years, with prices up 172 per cent.