Top 10 most expensive coastal locations in the UK

We reveal the most expensive coastal locations in the UK to own a home – should you buy?

Most expensive coastal locations UK - Crail village, County Fife, Scotland
(Image credit: Getty Images)

As summer arrives, a yearning to be by the sea may have you wondering where the most popular coastal locations in the UK are to buy a home.

Coastal locations are a popular choice for buy-to-lets, holiday rentals and homeowners looking to downsize their home as they approach retirement. But Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Spring Budget clamped down on furnished holiday lets tax (FHL) in a bid to free up property stocks and fund national insurance cuts, which has had an impact on the coastal housing market.

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Top 10 most expensive coastal locations in the UK
Coastal location Average house price 2023
Salcombe £970,657
Sandbanks £957,739
Padstow £701,979
Lymington £648,881
Dartmouth £569,850
Wadebridge £537,337
Lyme Regis £533,526
St. Ives £528,181
Budleigh Salterton £508,139
Kingsbridge £503,525
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Top 10 most affordable coastal locations in the UK
Coastal locationAverage house price 2023
Rothesay£101,477
Greenock£107,111
Girvan£107,349
Millport£113,622
Saltcoats£115,372
Campbeltown£115,813
Ardrossan£119,166
Port Bannatyne£119,951
Stranraer£120,157
Fraserburgh£129,606
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Largest property price rises in coastal locations 2022 vs 2023
Coastal locationRegionAverage house price 2022Average house price 20231-year change
InvergordonScotland£114,962£154,293+34%
Menai BridgeWales£297,551£379,472+28%
BurntislandScotland£175,222£207,525+18%
Newbiggin-By-The-SeaNorth East£116,963£136,717+17%
HelensburghScotland£219,574£254,261+16%
St. IvesSouth West£466,659£528,181+13%
SwanageSouth West£441,682£493,745+12%
SheringhamEast of England£337,593£372,476+10%
WickScotland£124,857£137,424+10%
GreenockScotland£97,608£107,111+10%
All coastal locations UK£306,491£293,710-4%
Oojal Dhanjal
Editorial Content Producer

Oojal has a background in consumer journalism and is interested in helping people make the most of their money.Oojal has an MA in international journalism from Cardiff University, and before joining MoneyWeek, she worked for Look After My Bills, a personal finance website, where she covered guides on household bills and money-saving deals.Her bylines can be found on Newsquest, Voice Wales, DIVA and Sony Music, and she has explored subjects ranging from politics and LGBTQIA+ issues to food and entertainment.Outside of work, Oojal enjoys travelling, going to the movies and learning Spanish with a little green owl.