Homes in commutable seaside towns
(Picture: ES)London may have a lot to offer – if you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life, after all – but the sea isn’t one of them. It’s unsurprising, then, that the pandemic triggered a wave of London leavers swapping the city for the coast in pursuit of more space, fresher air and a better work/life balance.
Demand for UK seaside homes more than doubled between the summers of 2020 and 2021. The coastal market has since begun to cool, but a commutable place by the sea remains a tempting prospect for Londoners who now partly work from home.
From buzzy Brighton (known as ‘London on Sea’) and pretty Rye in East Sussex to arty Folkestone and family-friendly Broadstairs in Kent, these 10 characterful havens within two hours of London are calling your name – and they all cost less than the £526,000 price tag of an average home in the capital.
Brighton, East Sussex
£495,000
New two-bedroom duplex in a private gated mews development located just off the seafront, close to the station. Open-plan living, with parking available to negotiate.
Fox & Sons, 01273 839 034
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
£500,000
Semi-detached family home with four bedrooms and potential to extend. South-facing garden and off-street parking, near to a nature reserve, golf course and great schools.
Gilbert & Rose, 01702 744 263
Broadstairs, Kent
£399,995
Grade II-listed cottage with two bedrooms, inglenook fireplace and courtyard style garden, mere metres from the sandy bay.
Terence Painter, 01843 315 055
Rye, East Sussex
£399,950
Three-bedroom Georgian cottage with conservatory, wood-burning stove and a shepherd’s hut with power and water in the garden.
Phillips & Stubbs, 01797 720 007
Folkestone, Kent
£500,000
Four-bedroom, semi-detached home with large garden, garage and driveway for multiple cars, within walking distance of the station.
Burnap & Abel, 01303 473 300
Worthing, West Sussex
£450,000
Modern seafront apartment in a period terrace with two bedrooms and coastal views. Chain-free, close to the town centre.
Michael Jones & Company, 01903 443 064
Eastbourne, East Sussex
£495,000
Three-bedroom townhouse arranged over three floors, half a mile from the station, with a garage, balcony and countryside views.
Rager & Roberts, 01323 380 012
Margate, Kent
£475,000
Renovated two-bedroom mews house with Crittall windows and exposed brickwork, moments from the beach and Old Town.
The Modern House, 020 3858 9816
Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
£320,000
Pretty period townhouse with five bedrooms, close to the seafront and station. Renovation opportunity, offered chain-free.
Sheen’s, 01255 767 066
Hastings, East Sussex
£425,000
Grade II-listed end-of-terrace house with two bedrooms and a courtyard garden. Old Town location, currently a successful holiday let.
