Last updated: Monday 19th October 2026
Southwold in Suffolk is the best seaside town in the UK to buy a holiday home, according to Alto data, after average property values rose 94% in ten years, from £231,236 in 2016 to £448,106 in 2026. Sandbanks in Dorset came a close second with a 93% rise, and Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire was third with prices up 75%.
Alto, the UK’s #1 estate agent CRM, analysed sales data from the agents who use its platform to rank the UK’s favourite coastal holiday home hotspots by long-term price growth. Rental values rose by similar levels across the top ten.
Key takeaways:
- Southwold, Suffolk is the UK’s top seaside holiday home location, with average prices up 94% since 2016.
- Sandbanks, Dorset (up 93%) is second and remains the most expensive seaside location in the UK, with an average value of £1,282,565.
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire (up 75%) is third and the most affordable town in the top ten, at an average of £227,022.
- Every location in the top ten saw average property values rise by more than 50% in a decade.
- Cornwall and Devon have two towns each in the top ten.
The top 10 UK seaside towns for holiday home price growth
| Rank | Location | Average price 2016 | Average price 2026 | Ten-year rise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southwold, Suffolk | £231,236 | £448,106 | 94% |
| 2 | Sandbanks, Dorset | £664,655 | £1,282,565 | 93% |
| 3 | Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire | £129,363 | £227,022 | 75% |
| 4 | Croyde, Devon | £439,975 | £740,747 | 68% |
| 5 | West Wittering, West Sussex | £598,788 | £977,282 | 63% |
| 6 | Padstow, Cornwall | £443,396 | £711,458 | 60% |
| 7 | Falmouth, Cornwall | £226,217 | £360,332 | 59% |
| 8 | Burnham Market, Norfolk | £457,050 | £715,452 | 56% |
| 9 | Margate, Kent | £202,276 | £312,195 | 54% |
| 10 | Salcombe, Devon | £539,950 | £828,630 | 53% |
Source: Alto platform sales data, 2016 to 2026.
1. Southwold, Suffolk: up 94%
Southwold is a small, affluent seaside town on the Suffolk Heritage Coast, best known for its pier and rows of pastel beach huts. Average property values have almost doubled in ten years, rising from £231,236 to £448,106.
The town has a strong screen pedigree too. It has featured in a string of films and TV shows, including Joy, the Netflix drama about the birth of IVF, and Iris, starring Kate Winslet.
2. Sandbanks, Dorset: up 93%
Sandbanks is an exclusive peninsula at the mouth of Poole Harbour and the most expensive seaside location in the UK. Average values rose from £664,655 to £1,282,565, the biggest rise in pounds of any town in the top ten (£617,910).
Often called the UK’s Monte Carlo, Sandbanks is known for its golden beaches and famous residents, including former football manager Harry Redknapp. Its top homes can sell for as much as £13 million, which puts its land values among the highest per square metre in the world.
Sandbanks only missed top spot by a single percentage point. Southwold’s rise was bigger in percentage terms, from a much lower starting price.
3. Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire: up 75%
Saltburn-by-the-Sea is a traditional Victorian seaside resort on the North Yorkshire coast, known for its dramatic cliffs and wide sandy beaches. Average prices rose from £129,363 to £227,022.
It’s the cheapest place to buy in the top ten by some distance, which makes it the obvious entry point for first-time holiday home buyers. ITV dramas Heartbeat and The Royal were both filmed there.
The rest of the top ten
- Croyde, Devon (up 68%). A North Devon surf village, with average values now £740,747.
- West Wittering, West Sussex (up 63%). Famous for its Blue Flag beach near Chichester Harbour, and the second most expensive town on the list at £977,282.
- Padstow, Cornwall (up 60%). The harbour town on the Camel Estuary, now averaging £711,458.
- Falmouth, Cornwall (up 59%). A working harbour and university town, and the second most affordable in the top ten at £360,332.
- Burnham Market, Norfolk (up 56%). The north Norfolk village nicknamed ‘Chelsea-on-Sea’, averaging £715,452.
- Margate, Kent (up 54%). The cheapest entry in the south east at £312,195, and an easy commute from London.
- Salcombe, Devon (up 53%). A South Devon sailing town where average values now sit at £828,630.
Prefer the countryside to the coast? See Alto’s ranking of the UK’s fastest rising picture postcard villages, built from the same agent data.
Why have seaside home prices risen so much?
Seaside prices jumped during Covid as buyers left cities for more space and a simpler life. The market corrected after that, and second home council tax premiums in some popular areas have also hit demand.
Alto CEO Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson says the long-term pull of the British coast is still strong:
“Prices shot up for seaside homes during Covid as people looked to escape cities for a simpler life.
“There was a correction after that and holiday home taxes in the form of punitive second home council tax charges in some popular areas have also affected the market.
“But global warming is making many parts of Europe too hot in the summer and British coastal resorts are an increasingly attractive option for many holidaymakers.”
Is a seaside holiday home still a good investment?
A seaside holiday home can still be a good investment if you pick a location where prices and rents have grown consistently over the long term. That’s the case for all ten towns on this list.
“Seaside holiday homes can still be a great investment if you pick the right place,” says Iannucci-Dawson.
“The best reason to buy a seaside home is to have a wonderful place where you can relax with your loved ones and earn good rental returns when you are not there.
“They can be a fantastic investment if you look at the data carefully and pinpoint where prices and rental yields have grown most over the last decade.
“Southwold narrowly beat the more famous Sandbanks because its percentage rise was greater but all the locations in the top ten would make good investments and will provide a good return in the long term.”
Past price growth doesn’t guarantee future returns, so always speak to a local agent and an independent financial adviser before you buy.
What this means for estate and letting agents
Holiday home buyers want hard numbers, not hunches. Agents who can show ten years of price and rental growth for a town win more of those conversations, and more of the instructions that follow.
For more of Alto’s market data, see the Speed of Sale Index: where UK homes are selling fastest and slowest in 2026.
“Alto data allows agents to analyse long-term sales and rental data, going back decades, to highlight the very best holiday home investment opportunities,” says Iannucci-Dawson.
Alto brings sales, lettings, property management and client accounting into one place, so the data is already there when a buyer asks where to look.
See how Alto works for your agency
How we compiled the data
Alto shortlisted the UK’s most popular coastal holiday home locations, then compared average property values in each in 2016 and 2026 using sales data from estate agents on the Alto platform. The ten locations with the biggest percentage rise made the list.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to buy a seaside holiday home in the UK?
Southwold in Suffolk is the best place to buy a seaside holiday home in the UK, based on ten-year price growth. Average values rose 94% between 2016 and 2026, according to Alto data.
What is the most expensive seaside town in the UK?
Sandbanks in Dorset is the most expensive seaside location in the UK, with an average property value of £1,282,565 in 2026. Its top homes can sell for up to £13 million.
Which seaside town has the cheapest holiday homes in the top ten?
Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire is the most affordable town in Alto’s top ten, with an average property value of £227,022. Prices there rose 75% in ten years.
How much have seaside property prices risen in the last ten years?
Average property prices in the UK’s top ten seaside holiday home locations rose between 53% and 94% from 2016 to 2026, according to Alto data. Southwold saw the biggest rise and Salcombe the smallest in the top ten.
Is buying a holiday home by the sea still a good investment?
A seaside holiday home can still be a good investment if you choose a location with consistent long-term growth in prices and rents. Alto’s top ten towns all saw values rise by more than 50% in a decade, though past growth doesn’t guarantee future returns.
Do you pay more council tax on a second home?
Yes, in many areas. Councils in England can charge up to double the normal council tax on second homes. Alto CEO Riccardo Iannucci-Dawson says these premiums have affected demand in some popular holiday spots.
Which county has the most top ten seaside towns?
Devon and Cornwall each have two towns in Alto’s top ten. Croyde and Salcombe represent Devon, and Padstow and Falmouth represent Cornwall.
About Alto
Alto is the UK’s #1 estate agent CRM. As an AI-native platform, Alto helps agents run every part of their business in one place, from sales and lettings to property management and client accounting. Alto is trusted by over 6,000 agents and saves each user 10+ hours a week.
