Dream of living by the sea? Rightmove reveals cheapest and most expensive seaside locations to buy a house in Great Britain

If you dream of relocating to the seaside or just want a coastal bolthole to escape to in the summer months, there are bargains to be had if you choose the right location. Prices can of course vary wildly depending on where exactly you are looking at, as proved by property website Rightmove’s latest research.

Revealing the ten cheapest and most expensive seaside locations in Great Britain, the cost of a new home on the coast varies from as little as £122,000 up to a whopping £1.3 million. The study says if you’re on a budget, the cheapest place to start looking is Saltcoats in Ayrshire but if money is no object, you might prefer to start house hunting in desirable Sandbanks in Poole.

Following Saltcoats, which tops the 10 cheapest locations list, is Peterlee in County Durham and Ashington in Northumberland – all offering coastal living for less than half the national average house price on average. Blackpool, with it’s famous landmark Tower, is also among the top 10 areas with average asking prices below £160,000.

At the most expensive end of the list is Sandbanks, with Canford Cliffs in Poole, and Milford-on-Sea in Hampshire, completing the luxury top three coastal trio.

According to Rightmove, buyer demand for seaside properties has increased by 8% compared to last year, with more people looking to make the move to coastal living. However, across the top 50 most expensive coastal areas, average asking prices have actually dropped by 1%.

A spokesperson for the property experts said: “As summer arrives and we start dreaming of long beach walks, fish and chips by the harbour, and waking up to sea views, we’ve taken a look at the seaside spots where the average cost of a home is well below the national average house price.”

10 cheapest seaside locations

Rightmove property expert, Colleen Babcock, said: “These lower-priced seaside spots 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.”

1. Saltcoats, Ayrshire: Average asking price £122,208
2. Peterlee, County Durham: Average asking price £122,246
3. Ashington, Northumberland: Average asking price £135,050
4. Bootle, Merseyside: Average asking price £135,208
5. Grimsby, Lincolnshire: Average asking price £142,072
6. Blackpool, Lancashire: Average asking price £142,804
7. Fleetwood, Lancashire: Average asking price £148,101
8. Birkenhead, Merseyside: Average asking price £149,527
9. Blyth, Northumberland: Average asking price £153,487
10. Workington, Cumbria: Average asking price £158,956

10 most expensive seaside locations

1. Sandbanks, Poole: Average asking price £1,282,565
2. Canford Cliffs, Poole: Average asking price £974,635
3. Milford-on-Sea, Hampshire: Average asking price £728,46
4. Lymington, Hampshire: Average asking price £639,316
5. Budleigh Salterton, Devon: Average asking price £535,761
6. St. Ives, Cornwall: Average asking price £507,139
7. Dartmouth, Devon: Average asking price £500,006
8. Sidmouth, Devon: Average asking price £494,811
9. Whitstable, Kent: Average asking price £469,586
10. Hythe, Kent: Average asking price £466,898

The coastal property market offers a diverse range of property types and price ranges – from affordable starter homes with sea views to luxury waterfront estates. With buyer demand on the rise and some areas showing more competitive pricing, now could be the time to explore what seaside living could offer.