Coastal property prices are rising sharply once again – but it’s not traditional housing leading the surge. New analysis reveals that a surprising seaside property type is climbing even faster than others in some of the UK’s most desirable coastal locations, with prices increasing by over 100 per cent in just three years!
Traditional coastal property premiums
Property investors have long known that coastal property prices tend to command a premium, especially in counties like West Sussex, Hampshire and Essex. In West Sussex, where seaside hotspots like West Wittering and Worthing remain in high demand, the average house price now sits at £370,380 – a 32.7 per cent premium on the UK average of £268,652.
Other southern counties show a similar pattern: Hampshire residential properties now cost £357,026 on average (30.5% above the UK average), with Essex (30.2%), Kent (25.8%) and Dorset (20.5%) all posting premiums of 20 per cent or more. Even in East Sussex and Suffolk, property values remain significantly above the national benchmark.
The property type driving coastal prices up over 100%
However, the most dramatic growth in coastal property prices hasn’t been in conventional properties at all – but beach huts.
Despite strict usage restrictions that they can’t be lived in or even used overnight, the average price of a beach hut has soared in multiple counties. In West Sussex, beach huts now command an average asking price of £33,044 – more than double the 2022 average of £16,349, marking a 102.1 per cent increase in just three years.
In terms of monetary gain, the trend is even more striking in Dorset, where average hut prices have climbed over £40,000 to £102,451 – this is up 66.3 per cent since 2022. Taking the third spot, Essex huts are currently listed at an average price of £45,878 (3-year change +31%), followed by East Sussex, where average beach hut prices have risen 17 per cent to £30,784 since 2022. In Kent, prices have risen 6.6 per cent to £43,661 and in Hampshire up 2.9 per cent to £32,655. Suffolk and Norfolk beach huts have fallen -14 per cent and -17.8 per cent respectively.
Tim Simmons, Sales & Marketing Director at Regency Living, which compiled the data, commented: “For many retirees and silver downsizers, the dream of living by the sea is starting to feel completely out of reach. With even beach huts now commanding five-figure price tags, it’s no surprise that more buyers are seeking smarter alternatives.”
This latest price data reflects the continued appetite for affordable access to the coast, even when the properties themselves offer little more than location and limited utility. We wonder if this trend will continue…
