Price of a sea-view home surges by 27% – which coastal location has the biggest premium?

The average asking price of a home with a sea-view has increased by 27% since 2019, outpacing the national average (22%), new data shows.

A sea-view property in the UK now commands an asking price of £298,810 on average, up from £235,635 in 2019, Rightmove says.

The region with the highest growth in asking price among sea-view homes is the south east of England, where the average asking price for these properties is £416,375, up 24% since 2019.

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Meanwhile, the regions with the fastest asking price growth for homes with sea-views are the East Midlands and Yorkshire & The Humber, where prices have surged by over 50% in the last seven years.

Colleen Babcock, property expert at Rightmove, said: “A sea-view has long been seen as one of the most desirable features a home can offer, and our latest analysis shows buyers are willing to pay a significant premium for one.”

She added that while the most sought-after coastal locations in the country still command high prices, there is strong growth in more affordable seaside areas, suggesting homes with sea-views are becoming "increasingly valuable across the wider market".

Which regions are seeing the strongest price growth for sea-view homes?

The East Midlands has seen the largest surge in asking prices for homes with sea-views, as prices have risen by 55% since 2019.

The region’s seaside towns include Skegness, Mablethorpe, and Cleethorpes.

The average home that overlooks the ocean in the region commands an average asking price of £352,789 today, up from £228,083 in 2019.

Yorkshire and the Humber is in close second place for strong asking price growth among sea-view properties. The average asking price for a sea-view home in the region has soared by 53% in the last seven years from £160,771 to £245,119.

The region includes popular seaside locations like Scarborough, Whitby, Bridlington and Redcar.

While these regions have seen strong growth, performance is not the same across the country.

Sea-view homes in Scotland have seen their average asking price rise by just 4% since 2019, increasing from £159,938 to £166,068.

Although sea-view homes in the South East command the highest asking prices overall of £416,375, growth has been slower than most regions of the country, increasing by just 16% in the last seven years.

Source: Rightmove, 29 July

The towns where the sea-view premium is highest

The coastal town which has been the biggest beneficiary of surging asking prices for homes with a sea-view is West Mersea in Essex.

Homes in the seaside town command a sea-view premium of £222,294. Average asking prices in the town are £433,185 but surge by 51% to £655,479 when you can see the sea from your window.

The second-highest premium in the country can be found in Frinton-on-Sea, also in Essex, where there is a £130,699 (36%) difference between the average asking price in the town and the average asking price for a home with a sea-view.

The table below shows the top 10 locations with the largest sea-view premiums.

Source: 29 July