With the prospect of longer, hotter summers at home and concerns about possible problems traveling to Europe on the horizon, a growing number of people are thinking about buying coastal holiday homes in the UK rather than abroad. When shopping around for houses for sale near the sea, there are plenty of places to begin your search. Take your time and look at as many sites as possible while doing your research. Here are some important points to consider before making this crucial decision.
Location
As with all property buying, the first thing to think about when looking for coastal property for sale is where you want to buy. Coastal properties are not all the same, and different parts of the country will command very different prices. If you want a holiday home in the hippest seaside resort, you'll obviously pay far more than somewhere out of the way and that's a little less on trend. However, this needn't restrict you from looking at beachfront property for sale anywhere if you're smart. Even if you can't afford central Brighton, for example, or even nearby Hove, if you're willing to go a little further afield, to Portslade or Shoreham perhaps, then there are bargains still to be found.
Check your finances
If you're looking for coastal properties for sale in UK, make sure you've done your homework with regard to the finances. Any second home you buy in the UK will be subject to a 3% second home stamp duty levy, and that's in addition to the usual stamp duty costs. That means if you're thinking of buying seafront property for sale above the £1.5 million mark, you could be paying 15% in stamp duty. As well as stamp duty, make sure you think about how you want to structure any mortgage you may need. Interest rates in the UK have been very low for a long time now, but we recently saw the Bank of England raise them and experts suggest they may rise again before too long. Fixing an interest rate might be the best way to go to be sure of what your mortgage payments are likely to be going forward.
For every season
One of the important things to consider, and that many people forget when looking at beach houses for sale, is when you expect to be there, or when you hope to let it out. Seaside resorts can be very different places depending on the time of year. The bustling town full of life with a thriving retail center in summer can look like a ghost town by the time October rolls around. It's a good idea when looking at coastal properties for sale to visit the area at different times of the year. It all depends on what you're looking for of course, and it may be that a quieter place will suit you, but if you're thinking of being there at different times of the year, it's good to know how the character of the area and access to amenities might change with the seasons.
Maintenance
Another crucial area to consider when you're exploring beach houses for sale in the UK is how they might be affected by the elements. Homes by the sea are likely to experience greater extremes of weather, be it higher levels of rainfall and stronger winds in the autumn and winter or more direct sunlight in summer, and of course the effects of possible erosion caused by the high levels of salt in the sea air. The very factors that make beachfront properties for sale in the UK an attractive prospect can all cause problems if not planned and prepared for adequately. Before making any purchase, it's vital to have a professional survey carried out to pick up on any existing issues that might get worse over time. Be particularly careful about looking for effects of humidity or water damage, as well as evidence of any cracks inside and out that might have been caused by prolonged exposure to the sea weather. This needn't put you off from buying a coastal property, and there are plenty of solutions to problems that can be caused to buildings by extremes of weather. It might just mean you need to factor in slightly higher maintenance costs to your budget when making you initial plans.
Consider these points carefully, do your research, and you can still end up with a great seaside property at a great price.