BRITS were amazed to discover the UK’s cheapest seaside town – where homebuyers can bag 14 houses for the price of one elsewhere.
Eagle-eyed property hunters have spotted incredible bargains in the coastal resort of Saltcoats, in North Ayrshire, Scotland.
Property buyers have dubbed the quaint seaside town one of the cheapest in the UK with average house prices just £114,365.
This makes it 14 times less expensive than the cost of Sandbanks’ millionaire’s row – where properties are expected to hit the market at around £1.6million.
Sandbanks – Britain’s equivalent to Miami Beach – has been one of the most desirable places to live in the UK for over 20 years.
It’s renowned as a hotspot for the rich and famous, and has attracted celebrities such as Rick Stein, Harry Redknapp, Karl Pilkington, John Lennon, and Liam Gallagher.
The most expensive property was sold for an eye-watering sum of £13.5million in March of last year.
In facet, only three cities in the entire world had a higher average house price, Monaco’s Monte Carlo, Switzerland’s Basel, and Florida’s Palm Beach.
But, back in Ayrshire, Saltcoats’ golden sandy beaches have plenty to offer for a fraction of the price.
They are located just 45 minutes away from the cosmopolitan hub of Glasgow city centre by train or car.
This could make the area perfect for commuters or families who wish to work in the city, but enjoy breathing in fresh coastal air at home.
And, the seaside resort offers its own varied selection of restaurants, cafes and bars, if locals don’t fancy making the trip into Glasgow.
Saltcoats was once a thriving tourist destination too, with many travelling there for their summer holiday throughout the 1960s.
The Saltcoats Beach Pavilion, The Prom and The Esplanade were all popular hotspots for Scots looking to escape the city, and the seaside town has been drawing visitors in since the early 19th century.
Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert said: “Whilst the pandemic-driven surge for seaside areas has calmed down and reversed back to more normal levels, areas around Great Britain’s coast continue to be popular with many people.
“Particularly at this time of year, many people consider what a home by the sea and away from the hustle and bustle of a city could look like, or perhaps explore estate agents’ windows while on holiday.”
Other seaside towns that have been ranked in the UK’s top 10 cheapest include Easington, in County Durham, where average house prices start at £122,520.
Peterlee, also located in Country Durham, came in a close third with houses averaging £124,593.
Elsewhere, Ashington in Northumberland and Bootle in Merseyside, also placed in the top five.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, Sandbanks is rated most expensive, as previously mentioned.
This is followed by average eye-watering prices of £1,242,181 in Canford Cliffs, also located in Dorset.
And, coming in third, Milford On Sea in Hampshire, where homebuyers can expect average costs to hover around £751,442.
Steve Isaacs, director at Luxury and Prestige Realty in Poole, said: “The areas of Sandbanks and Canford Cliffs continue to be very popular, and prime waterfront properties in Sandbanks have been doing particularly well.
“For those that can, the lifestyle of living in a beautiful location by the sea will always be appealing and is not to be underestimated.”
It comes as the UK’s best seaside town has been revealed – and it’s the same place that won the last three years in a row.
The annual Which? ranking of coastal resorts is created every year, with thousands of people surveyed about their experiences.
Once again, Bamburgh in Northumberland came top of the pile, making it four years in a row that the north east town has claimed the title.
The survey covered all four nations, with Portmeirion, Gwynedd in second place, St Andrews, Fife in third place and Portstewart, Derry/Londonderry, the favourite Northern Irish resort, also making the top 20.
Meanwhile, The Sun spoke also to locals living in what’s been dubbed the UK’s ‘worst seaside town’ – where restaurants are turned into cannabis farms and drug lords run empires behind bars.
