Bournemouth in Dorset was the most in-demand seaside hotspot for homebuyers in 2021, according to new research from Rightmove.
The property website, which carried out the analysis, defined the most in-demand coastal areas as those which received the highest numbers of buyer enquiries made via its website in 2021.
It also identified Padstow in Cornwall as this year’s top coastal asking-price hotspot, with the average asking price surging by a fifth (20%) compared with last year.
Morecambe in Lancashire had the biggest jump in coastal buyer searches compared with last year (up by 32%), followed by Blackpool (21%) and Great Yarmouth (15%).
Saltcoats in Ayrshire, Scotland, meanwhile was named as the coastal location where homes were typically snapped up the most quickly – with properties finding a buyer in 19 days on average, which is 25 days quicker than the national average of 44 days.
Rightmove compared activity on its website between January 1 and November 24, 2021, with the same time period in 2020 to make the findings.
'Cornwall and Devon are the real winners'
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s director of property data said: “After a year where coastal locations really captured the imagination of British buyers, it’s interesting to reflect on how the overall picture looks at the end of the year.
“In terms of average asking price growth, homeowners in Cornwall and Devon are the real winners this year, with properties in some areas outpacing the national average, though this does mean that it is increasingly difficult for some locals to get onto the ladder.
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“The speed of this year’s market really is astounding, seen in the time to find a buyer in some areas, particularly in Scotland.
“Overall, this has been the year that either through changed lifestyle priorities, or the ability to work remotely, living in coastal areas has become possible for more buyers, which is reflected in the data we’re seeing in this study.”
The most 'in-demand' coastal locations of 2021
Here is a full list of the most in-demand coastal locations of this year, according to Rightmove’s analysis of enquiries via its website, with the average asking price followed by the percentage increase in the asking price compared with 2020.
1. Bournemouth, Dorset, £317,449, 4%
2. Southampton, Hampshire, £249,053, 4%
3. Brighton, East Sussex, £461,796, 5%
4. Blackpool, Lancashire, £137,301, 8%
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5. Poole, Dorset, £406,566, 5%
6. Southport, Merseyside, £215,838, 5%
7. Eastbourne, East Sussex, £306,546, 6%
8. Worthing, West Sussex, £354,361, 6%
9. Hastings, East Sussex, £295,096, 10%
10. Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, £252,339, 5%
Coastal locations with biggest jumps in average asking prices
These are the places with biggest increase in average asking price between 2020 and 2021, according to Rightmove, with the average asking price in 2021 and the percentage increase compared with 2020.
1. Padstow, Cornwall, £658,588, 20%
2. Whitby, North Yorkshire, £254,218, 17%
3. St Ives, Cornwall, £473,161, 15%
4. Porthcawl, South Glamorgan, £307,051, 14%
=5. Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, £173,612, 13%
=5. Newquay, Cornwall, £317,846, 13%
=5. Filey, North Yorkshire, £214,617, 13%
=5. Pwllheli, Gwynedd, £222,607, 13%
=9. Brixham, Devon, £299,127, 12%
=9. Preston, Paignton, Devon, £303,684, 12%
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