If you think you might like to be beside the seaside, then it seems reasonable that you might also like to see the odd sliver of blue from an upstairs window.
Those selling up pricey London flats before heading for new shores — quite literally — might find they can stump up the cash for a home directly on the seafront, whether they land in St Leonards or Southend.
This is surely the holy grail of coastal living, with sight lines straight to the horizon and little interruption bar circling gulls.
We’ve hand-picked 10 of the best on the market now, all under £1 million, from townhouses on smart Victorian promenades to detached homes away from the hum of town centres.
Sandgate, Kent
£725,000
This grade II-listed three-bedroom house sits directly on the seafront of this charming Folkestone suburb. The core is likely Georgian, with features like stained glass and unusual Spanish-style detailing thought to have been added in the 20th century.
Andrew & Co, 01233 632383
Ramsgate, Kent
£700,000
This distinctive four-bedroom Victorian villa is one of three built into the cliff face, away from the busiest stretch of the beach. As well as four bedrooms, a study and a utility room, it has access to a part of an old stone mine – currently used as a games room.
Inigo, 020 3687 3071
St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
£650,000
A deceptively spacious listed townhouse on the marina of buzzy St Leonards, with a full width balcony overlooking the beach, plus original marble fireplaces and solid wood floors. It’s being sold without an onward chain.
Rush, Witt & Wilson, 01424 442443
Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex
£695,000
An open green space gives this detached Victorian home direct sea views in Frinton-on-Sea’s sleepier sibling. There are three bedrooms and as many receptions rooms, plus an appealing rear garden with a garage that could be used as a boat house.
Sheen’s, 01255 442163
Folkestone, Kent
£700,000
Set back from the clifftop by an attractive strip of grassland, this capacious family home has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms, plus a garage, good-size rear garden and panoramic sea views. It is currently vacant and being offered chain-free.
Burnap + Abel, 01303 258590
Broadstairs, Kent
£925,000
This characterful terraced house has sensational sweeping views across the full width of Viking Bay, plus speedy access to the town centre. There are three bedrooms and bathrooms, but the real draw is the large roof terrace – perfect for people-watching.
Miles & Barr, 01227 200600
Brighton, East Sussex
£900,000
You’d need serious cash for a grand Regency townhouse on the promenade of Brighton or Hove, but some of the seafront apartments are surprisingly spacious. This two-bedroom flat in a prime Kemptown position has 2,500 sq ft of living space and access to a shared garden.
Mishon Mackay, 01273 775 588
Whitstable, Kent
£695,000
This beachfront maisonette occupyies the ground and lower ground floors of a Victorian house within the conservation area. It has two double bedrooms – with potential to change a second reception room into a third – plus an almost 70 ft rear garden.
Christopher Hodgson, 01227 266441
Lancing, West Sussex
£800,000
A Twenties family home on the foreshore at Lancing, one of Britain’s largest villages, with direct access to the beach from the front gate. The third bedroom connects to a separate study with an attractive pitched roof, as well as a sea-facing balcony.
Jackson-Stops, 01243 786316
Southend-on-Sea, Essex
This three-bedroom house has a self-contained basement flat which could be reintegrated or turned into a holiday let. Technically these are Estuary rather than sea views, but this is an appealing stretch of water away from the busyness of central Southend.
