I once read that you are never more than 70 miles away from a coastal area in the UK. Believe it or not, that’s one of the reasons why people decide to sell their properties and buy new homes by the sea!
Of course, there are other reasons too. Some folks prefer to have holiday homes they can stay at during the summer months. Others want to quit the hustle and bustle of city life for a more relaxed pace by the coast.
Current buying trends suggest more Britons are buying coastal properties than ever before. I suspect one other reason is to cut down on holiday costs. After all; “staycations” are growing in popularity.
Are you planning on buying a home by the sea? If so, check out these practical tips for first-time seaside home buyers:
Protection from salt erosion
One of the things that can damage any home by the sea is salt. It can erode the masonry on your property and will eventually destroy anything made of metal. When viewing places, it’s important to check whether any building work needs to get done because of salt erosion.
It’s also possible to use waterproof solutions on masonry so that further erosion gets slowed down. In some cases, it can even stop future salt erosion from happening! You can get solutions not just for masonry, but for metal too. If a house is selling for a bargain price, it could be that it needs a lot of repair work to stop it from crumbling any further.
The good news is that estate agents are well-versed at spotting the signs of salt erosion. So if you’re not sure whether a property is affected by it, talk to estate agents in coastal areas who can check for you.
Flood protection
Another thing to consider is flood protection. Living in the UK, we are all used to dealing with heavy rain on occasion. But, did you know that some coastal areas are prone to flooding? To deal with the problem, the Environment Agency builds defences like seawalls.
Of course, not everywhere has flood protection like that. With limited budgets, the EA can only consider building defences in areas with high populations. Are you planning on living in an area where you only have ten other neighbours? If so, you might need to consider building flood defences out of your personal money.
If you visit the EA website, you can check local maps to determine where flood defences got installed in the past.
Coastal views
Last, but not least, you need to find out how desirable your future home is. If the property you want has got direct views of the sea, it will be worth more than one that’s further inland.
I’d recommend opting for a house that’s set back from the sea but still has an unobstructed view. That way, you won’t have to worry about coastal erosion problems! I hope today’s property guide has been of use to you. Good luck with your house hunting!