Coastal cost: £86,000 price premium for homes with a sea view

The Brink beach house at Benar Headland in Abersoch, Wales, has an asking price of more than £3m

(Image credit: Rightmove)

published 9 December 2020

Living in a property with sea views tops many homebuyers’ wishlists - but achieving that dream means paying a hefty price premium.

New research by property website Rightmove shows that prices for coastal properties are £86,060 higher on average than those without - equating to a premium of 31% across Britain. And soaring demand has increased the typical premium to buy a home with a sea view by more than £19,000 over the past year.

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Region	Row 0 - Cell 1	Average asking price (sea view)	Row 0 - Cell 3	Average asking price (non-sea view)	Row 0 - Cell 5	Asking price premium (%)	Row 0 - Cell 7	Price difference	Row 0 - Cell 9
South West	Row 1 - Cell 1	£415,296	Row 1 - Cell 3	£291,915	Row 1 - Cell 5	42%	Row 1 - Cell 7	£123,381	Row 1 - Cell 9
North East	Row 2 - Cell 1	£209,370	Row 2 - Cell 3	£157,441	Row 2 - Cell 5	33%	Row 2 - Cell 7	£51,929	Row 2 - Cell 9
Wales	Row 3 - Cell 1	£323,800	Row 3 - Cell 3	£255,543	Row 3 - Cell 5	27%	Row 3 - Cell 7	£68,257	Row 3 - Cell 9
East of England	Row 4 - Cell 1	£331,153	Row 4 - Cell 3	£264,293	Row 4 - Cell 5	25%	Row 4 - Cell 7	£66,860	Row 4 - Cell 9
North West	Row 5 - Cell 1	£204,834	Row 5 - Cell 3	£165,645	Row 5 - Cell 5	24%	Row 5 - Cell 7	£39,189	Row 5 - Cell 9
South East	Row 6 - Cell 1	£371,385	Row 6 - Cell 3	£309,829	Row 6 - Cell 5	20%	Row 6 - Cell 7	£61,556	Row 6 - Cell 9
Yorkshire and The Humber	Row 7 - Cell 1	£185,542	Row 7 - Cell 3	£158,502	Row 7 - Cell 5	17%	Row 7 - Cell 7	£27,040	Row 7 - Cell 9
Scotland	Row 8 - Cell 1	£134,145	Row 8 - Cell 3	£112,253	Row 8 - Cell 5	21%	Row 8 - Cell 7	£21,892	Row 8 - Cell 9
Britain	Row 9 - Cell 1	£368,278	Row 9 - Cell 3	£282,218	Row 9 - Cell 5	31%	Row 9 - Cell 7	£86,060

“Being an island nation, the sea is really part of our culture and as a result, many aspire to buy by the sea for its beautiful scenery, unique lifestyle and plentiful leisure offerings. Ordinarily, homes by the sea are popular, but this year we have seen the demand for a coastal lifestyle grow even more. With the type of property available along the coast varied, ranging from fisherman’s cottages to beachfront mansions and modern new-build developments, there really is something for everyone. Whether it’s for sailing, surfing, sea-fishing, wind-surfing, or even just a walk to take in the view, buyers are now more than ever eager to be close to the sea.”

“There’s something about the sea which has always captivated the imagination and, when it comes to house buying, the wallet too. Naturally, of course, there are premiums even within the exclusive bracket of homes with a sea view. For example, it depends on whether you’re buying a home with a glimpse of the sea, a direct panoramic sea view, or somewhere with direct sea frontage. Each has its price, and the prices can be high. You’ll pay a premium of at least 100% for the very best sea views and vastly greater than that for direct water frontage.”

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Mike Starling is the former digital features editor at The Week. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.