The average asking price for a beach hut has soared from £39,382 to £50,336 in response to soaring demand for staycations
(Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)Candy-striped beach huts lining a sandy beach may be the quintessential Great British Summer sight, but if you want a miniature holiday home to call your own, it’ll cost you over £10,000 more than last year.
The average asking price for a beach hut has soared from £39,382 to £50,336 in the past 12 months — a jump of 28 per cent, according to Rightmove – with staycation hotspots including Felixstowe in Suffolk, Frinton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, and Hayling Island off the south coast of Hampshire.
On the secluded Mudeford Spit in Dorset, beach huts have recently sold for up to £355,000 — over £77,000 more than the average UK house price of £278,000 — despite lacking mains electricity, toilets, showers and being illegal to sleep in overnight during winter (as most beach huts are).
You can’t take out a mortgage on a beach hut, so would-be owners must be able to stump up a small fortune in cash for the privilege of eating their fish and chips under pastel-painted timber.
Originally used as glorified changing rooms for local families after the First World War, and then for storage by coastal day trippers, prices for beach huts began to rise in the Seventies, when a decent one would set you back roughly £10,000. That figure rose in the Eighties to £25,000, and hasn’t stopped climbing since.
These days, ‘high-spec’ beach huts are increasingly being kitted out to luxurious standards, complete with double beds, fully-fitted kitchens and sun terraces.
Beach hut interior design consultancies are doing a roaring trade, and design ambitions have grown.
In 2018, Eastbourne Borough Council even commissioned the architect Jacob Low of Acton-based JaK Studio to build a rotating concrete beach hut that follows the sun.
Rightmove’s Tim Bannister said: “Beach huts have become increasingly sought after over the past couple of years as more people headed to the British seaside for their holidays.
“This has driven prices up, with the frenzied demand leading to some being sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds.”
James Eniffer, director at Sheen’s Estate Agents in Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, has seen “huge demand for a place near the seaside”.
He said: “The Tendring coast offers miles of impressive coastal walks, along with some Blue Flag beaches.
“Being so close to London, with both direct rail links to London Liverpool Street and road links to the A12, the Tendring area is very accessible for a day tripper looking for an escape from the larger towns and cities.
“We often find that once people have a beach hut in the area, they hold onto it for many years for all generations of their family to enjoy.”
Hagen Rose, who founded online beach hut community Beach-Huts.com in 2005 (now BeachHuts.com, a beach hut rental platform), believes beach huts are so popular because they are “part of our culture and often part of the family history”.
“Beach huts capture the imagination in so many ways and outdoor life is booming, from camping and foraging to kayaking and outdoor swimming,” he said.
“They offer a great way of coping with the challenges of the British weather – a shelter from the wind and rain to enjoy hot soup and bacon sandwiches!”
Beach huts for sale
Undercliff Road East, Felixstowe, £65,000
This classic beach hut on the front row is set a short stroll away from Felixstowe’s promenade, ice-cream shop and Fludyers restaurant . It comes with plenty of storage room and, excitingly, its own electricity supply.
King’s Parade, East Clacton, £49,995
Located bang on East Clacton’s sea front, this beach hut has been decorated to a modern style inside with lots of space to relax during a balmy summer’s day – if you’ve got just shy of £50,000 to spare, that is.
Goring Seafront, Goring-by-Sea, £35,000
This recently redecorated beach hut is available for less than the average price of a beach hut while still being well-located close to the town centre of Worthing. It has a paved patio area and is easily accessible.
The Leas, Frinton-on-Sea, £60,000
This front row beach hut on stilts has a large window that opens onto the sea view, plus all the necessary kitchen equipment and lots of storage room. It is less than two miles from Frinton station, should you fancy a day trip from London.
King’s Parade, Holland-on-Sea, £55,000
Found just along from Clacton-on-Sea, this beach hut offers panoramic views, with toilets, a cafe and a handy car park close by.
