Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, there has been strong demand for homes in coastal areas. This demand has often outstripped supply, which has contributed to the rising asking prices experienced throughout 2021 and currently in 2022.
According to online property portal Rightmove, across all seaside locations in Great Britain, asking prices are up 13.9% on average compared to last year, outpacing the national average of 9.9%.
Competition for homes in seaside locations during the last year has meant the pace of the market has increased. READ MORE: Stunning period farmhouse overlooking famous Welsh mountains for sale for first time in a century
Rightmove states that many seaside locations in Great Britain are outpacing the national average of 9.9% during and following the pandemic. The company also says that average time to find a buyer in a seaside location is 33 days and, on average, homes are finding buyers nearly three weeks (20 days) quicker than in 2021.
More in-depth research by Rightmove reveals the top ten top seaside property hotspots across the UK according to the year on year average asking price growth. Tim Bannister, Rightmove's director of property science says: "We know that demand, which we measure by enquiries to estate agents from prospective buyers on Rightmove, is often a lead indicator of price.
"Right at the start of the pandemic when the market re-opened, we saw a huge surge in demand for these coastal areas as people wanted a sea view or more space near the coast.
"There have been large periods where demand has greatly outstripped supply over the last couple of years which has contributed to the significant rise in asking prices we’re seeing in 2022."
Only one Welsh coastal town appears in the UK's top ten and so also becomes the top seaside spot in Wales and according to Rightmove, it is Abergele and Pensarn, in the county of Conwy.
This popular spot on the north Wales coast between Rhyl and Colwyn Bay has seen a year-on-year growth of 22% according to Rightmove.
This has increased the average asking price to £234,000 compared to the Wales national average which, according to the Principality Building Society, currently stands at £233,361.
Rightmove states that the majority of sales in Abergele during the last year were detached properties, selling for an average price of £225,922. Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £172,329, with terraced properties fetching £157,550.
Website Visitor UK states Abergele dates back to Roman times as an established trading centre in the area, and is still a market town that serves as a hub for an extensive rural hinterland and farming community.
The website comments: "The town is surrounded by beautiful countryside it is a quiet market town, with many buildings constructed of local stone, within half a mile of the beach at Pensarn where Captain Matthew Webb trained in the Irish Sea for the first successful Channel swim in 1875
"The beach has also attracted interest with purported sightings of a ghost ship. There are some notable historic buildings in the vicinity including Gwrych Castle, built in 1819, which is set in 236 acres of woodland."
And has the two years of TV exposure at Gwrych Castle via ITV's I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, presenters Ant and Dec and a group of celebrities descending into the town and surrounding area a coincidence in the town experiencing a property price increase? Find out more about I'm A Celeb at the castle and in Wales here.
Tim Bannister says: "Encouragingly, with new stock coming to market we are starting to see signs of a better balance of supply and demand in seaside areas than we were a year ago.
"We'd expect this to filter through to the market and potentially moderate the pace of price rises in the coming months." And if you want to read more about the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories, house prices and interiors then join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter which is sent out to your inbox twice a week.
