Bournemouth is the most in-demand coastal location this year

  • Rightmove analysis of the year reveals Bournemouth is 2021’s most in-demand coastal location from buyers, followed by Southampton and Brighton
  • The average asking price this year for a property in Bournemouth is £317,449, up 4% from last year
  • Padstow in Cornwall is this year’s top coastal price hotspot, with average asking prices 20% higher than last year
  • Whitby (+17%) and St. Ives (+15%) are next on the list of this year’s coastal average asking price hotspots
  • Saltcoats, Ayrshire is the quickest location to find a buyer – with properties finding a buyer in 19 days on average, 25 days quicker than the national average of 44 days

New data from the UK’s biggest property website Rightmove reveals that Bournemouth is the most in-demand coastal location for buyers this year.

Analysis of the year from Rightmove, based on millions of supply, demand and pricing data points across the property market, looked at activity in coastal locations in 2021 compared with 2020.

Southampton is this year’s second most in-demand coastal location, and Brighton is third. Average asking prices across the top ten in-demand coastal locations rose 6% this year, just ahead of the national average rise of 5%.

Padstow in Cornwall topped the list of this year’s coastal average asking price hotspots. Average asking prices in Padstow rose 20% this year, from £548,382, to £658,588.

Whitby, in North Yorkshire, came second, with prices rising 17% from £217,620, to £254,218, and St. Ives, in Cornwall came third, where prices rose 15% from £411,484 to £473,161.

This year the speed of the market has meant the time to find a buyer has hit record low number of days. The average time find a buyer across the whole of 2021 is 44 days, 15 days quicker than the average in 2020.

Saltcoats, Ayrshire, is this year’s quickest coastal location to find a buyer, at 19 days on average. Troon, in Ayrshire came second at 22 days, and Westward Ho, in Bideford, Devon was third at 24 days.

Morecambe in Lancashire, saw the biggest jump in coastal buyer searches compared to last year (+32%), followed by Blackpool (+21%) and Great Yarmouth (+15%).

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Director of Property Data comments: “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. 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.”

Most in-demand coastal locations 2021


Rank
Location
Average asking price
Average asking price increase 2021 vs 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%
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 average asking price hotspots 2021

 

Rank

Location  

Average asking price 2021

 

Average asking price 2020


Average asking price increase 2021 vs 2020
1 Padstow, Cornwall £658,588 £548,382 20%
2 Whitby, North Yorkshire £254,218 £217,620 17%
3 St. Ives, Cornwall £473,161 £411,484 15%
4 Porthcawl, South Glamorgan, Bridgend (County of) £307,051 £270,505 14%
5 Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire £173,612 £153,140 13%
6 Newquay, Cornwall £317,846 £281,204 13%
7 Filey, North Yorkshire £214,617 £189,914 13%
8 Pwllheli, Gwynedd £222,607 £197,213 13%
9 Brixham, Devon £299,127 £266,604 12%
10 Preston, Paignton, Devon £303,684 £272,029 12%

 

Quickest coastal markets 2021

 

Rank

Location  

Average asking price 2021

 

Average time to find a buyer 2021 (days)


Change in time to find a buyer 2021 vs 2020 (days)
1 Saltcoats, Ayrshire £111,419 19 -35
2 Troon, Ayrshire £178,666 22 -8
3 Westward Ho, Bideford, Devon £297,138 24 -46
4 Ayr, Ayrshire £161,301 25 -15
5 Kessingland, Lowestoft, Suffolk £219,538 25 -22
6 Littlehampton, West Sussex £364,180 26 -28
7 Goring-By-Sea, Worthing, West Sussex £396,078 26 -23
8 Marske-By-The-Sea, Redcar, Cleveland £181,882 28 -15
9 Canvey Island, Essex £308,261 28 -23
10 Weymouth, Dorset £283,585 29 -25

 

Jump in coastal searches 2021

 

Rank

Location
Average asking price

Increase in searches 2021 vs 2020
1 Morecambe, Lancashire £164,424 32%
2 Blackpool, Lancashire £137,301 21%
3 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk £194,066 15%
4 Swansea, Wales £180,603 15%
5 Saltburn-By-The-Sea, Cleveland £227,611 15%
6 Southampton, Hampshire £249,053 14%
7 Llandudno, Conwy (County of) £235,316 13%
8 Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire, South West Wales £319,587 12%
9 Southport, Merseyside £215,838 12%
10 Scarborough, North Yorkshire £191,879 12%

Rightmove

UK Property news updates shared directly from Rightmove PLC - the country's leading property portal.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Housing sales end 2024 on a high, but buyers more cautious about how much to pay for homes as mortgage rates drift higher

Buyers and sellers returned to the market over 2024 building a sales pipeline 30 per cent larger than a year ago with 283,000 homes worth £104bn progressing to a sale in 2025. This is the largest end of year total value for four years. House prices have returned to growth with the average house price…
Read More
Breaking News

£21 million to live on UK’s most expensive street

· Knightsbridge in London now the priciest UK street · The UK’s 10 most expensive streets all in the capital, with an average price tag of £16.5 million · East Road in Weybridge the most expensive address outside of London · Priciest UK properties are 60 times more than a typical home Lloyds has revealed…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 20/12/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Why estate and letting agents must embrace innovative technology in 2025   As we step into 2025, the UK property market continues to shift, and estate agents face mounting pressure to meet the evolving expectations of buyers and sellers. The days when static images sufficed…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 19/12/24

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   High street Auctions’ initiative launches to revive Britain’s town centres   This month the UK Government rolls out its highly anticipated ‘High Street Auctions’ scheme, a flagship measure of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. This initiative grants local authorities the power to take…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Moving Up In The World: Finding Your Dream Home

Finding your dream home is one of life’s most exciting and transformative experiences. Whether you’re looking to upsize, relocate, or finally purchase that ideal property you’ve always envisioned, the journey is both thrilling and filled with important decisions. As you embark on this path, it’s essential to plan carefully, consider your priorities, and approach the…
Read More
new build home fronts
Breaking News

These cities are the keenest to move house in 2025

Bournemouth is the keenest area in the UK to move home, with 38,132 average monthly searches for moving-related topics per 100,000 residents. Plymouth is second, with 35,198 average monthly searches for moving, and Birmingham is third, with 35,181. Derry is the least keen area to move house, with only 3,170 average monthly searches related to…
Read More