If seaside living is high up on your property wish list, the latest research by Warwick Estates could make your property search a breeze.
Locations that offer the best chance of buying new-build properties by the sea were recently analysed by the property management service.
The research was conducted by analysing the availability of new-build properties across coastal towns within the nation.
In total, 45 of the best coastal towns across the nation were examined based on the number of new builds available on the current market as a percentage of all properties listed for sale.
Top destinations for new-builds by the sea
According to the study, only 5% of all homes that are available in coastal locations are new builds. Since such a small percentage of homes with these two characteristics are available, this research could be useful for those that prioritise new builds and coastal locations.
In contrast, the north coast of Cornwall is a location that could offer more opportunities for house hunters to secure a new build by the sea. In Newquay, one in five homes currently listed for sale via the new homes sector meets the criteria.
Shoreham-by-Sea has the largest quantity of new build properties located by the coast available, with new homes accounting for 12% of all homes currently on the market.
Burnham-on-Sea, a seaside town in Somerset, on the South West coast of England, and Fleetwood, a coastal town in Lancashire, are scenic locations by the sea, but they currently have no new-build homes listed for sale.
The only other coastal locations where new-builds account for more than 10% of current for sale stock include Poole (11%) and Margate (10%).
Although they have less than 10% of current new build for sale stock, Deal (9%), Exmouth (9%), Scarborough (9%), Herne Bay (8%), Falmouth (8%), and Littlehampton (8%) make the top 10.
Chief operating officer of Warwick Estates, Bethan Griffiths, concludes: “The property market DNA of many coastal locations has long been decided and the lack of available space means you will probably be hard-pressed to find a new-build with sea views.”
“However, as our research shows, some coastal favourites are home to a limited level of new-build stock and so the dream of a new-build by the sea isn’t completely out of the question.”
“While the chances are higher in some areas compared to others, those with their heart set on such a purchase should be able to find a coastal new-build contender in almost every region of the UK market.”
Below is the complete table that shows new-build availability in each coastal town based on the number of new-builds for sale as a percentage of all homes listed for sale.
| Location | Region | Total Stock listed for sale | New-build stock listed for sale | Proportion of New Builds (%) |
| Newquay | South West | 373 | 74 | 19.8% |
| Shoreham-by-sea | South East | 407 | 47 | 11.5% |
| Poole | South West | 2696 | 290 | 10.8% |
| Margate | South East | 719 | 75 | 10.4% |
| Deal | South East | 462 | 43 | 9.3% |
| Exmouth | South West | 524 | 48 | 9.2% |
| Scarborough | Yorkshire and The Humber | 1017 | 93 | 9.1% |
| Herne Bay | South East | 728 | 61 | 8.4% |
| Falmouth | South West | 325 | 27 | 8.3% |
| Littlehampton | South East | 950 | 78 | 8.2% |
| Ramsgate | South East | 588 | 46 | 7.8% |
| Great Yarmouth | East of England | 1045 | 81 | 7.8% |
| Christchurch | South West | 508 | 36 | 7.1% |
| Felixstowe | East of England | 523 | 34 | 6.5% |
| Whitstable | South East | 625 | 40 | 6.4% |
| Folkestone | South East | 830 | 49 | 5.9% |
| Worthing | South East | 1895 | 111 | 5.9% |
| Weymouth | South West | 762 | 43 | 5.6% |
| Weston-Super-Mare | South West | 1561 | 88 | 5.6% |
| Southport | North West | 1374 | 75 | 5.5% |
| Broadstairs | South East | 429 | 23 | 5.4% |
| Torquay | South West | 1289 | 66 | 5.1% |
| Formby | North West | 275 | 14 | 5.1% |
| Clacton-on-Sea | East of England | 993 | 49 | 4.9% |
| Lowesoft | East of England | 1031 | 49 | 4.8% |
| Bournemouth | South West | 3777 | 159 | 4.2% |
| Eastbourne | South East | 1698 | 71 | 4.2% |
| Seaford | South East | 314 | 13 | 4.1% |
| Cleethorpes | Yorkshire and The Humber | 348 | 14 | 4.0% |
| Bridlington | Yorkshire and The Humber | 483 | 18 | 3.7% |
| Bexhill | South East | 1027 | 36 | 3.5% |
| Bognor Regis | South East | 1102 | 37 | 3.4% |
| Skegness | East Midlands | 290 | 9 | 3.1% |
| Southend-onsea | East of England | 1134 | 30 | 2.6% |
| Paignton | South West | 812 | 21 | 2.6% |
| Redcar | South East | 423 | 8 | 1.9% |
| Clevedon | North West | 275 | 5 | 1.8% |
| Hastings | South East | 1571 | 21 | 1.3% |
| Blackpool | North West | 2106 | 25 | 1.2% |
| Morecambe | North West | 561 | 5 | 0.9% |
| Lytham St Anne’s | North West | 824 | 5 | 0.6% |
| Whitley Bay | North East | 340 | 1 | 0.3% |
| Fleetwood | North West | 313 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Stubbington | South East | 187 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Burnham-on-Sea | South West | 246 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Average | 39760 | 2118 | 5.3% | |
