Bournemouth crowned the most in-demand coastal location of 2021

With average prices of £317,449 following a 4% rise this year, the coastal resort town of Bournemouth in East Dorset has proved a favourite amongst house hunters eager for salty air.

Related topics:  Property
Property Reporter
3rd December 2021
Bournemouth 720

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.

According to the data, Bournemouth has come out on top and is the most in-demand coastal location for buyers this year.

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 a record low number of days. The average time to 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 changing 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.”

More like this
Latest from Financial Reporter
Latest from Protection Reporter
CLOSE
Subscribe
to our newsletter

Join a community of over 20,000 landlords and property specialists and keep up-to-date with industry news and upcoming events via our newsletter.