New research from Halifax Estate Agents has identified the 20 seaside towns in Britain that offer the highest quality of life and has examined which seaside towns offer the best value for money.

Christchurch in Dorset, Leigh-on-Sea in Essex and Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex are the three seaside towns in Britain that are most highly ranked in terms of quality of life.

Best value for money are Bridlington (£139,645), Lowestoft (£141,878) and Great Yarmouth (£142,860). These three towns, Halifax said, offer a combination of relatively low property prices and high quality of life.

Best seaside value in the South East go to Bexhill, Southend and Herne Bay – which all have average house prices of less than £200,000 and are among the 20 seaside towns with the highest quality of life.

Scarborough (£151,652), Weston-super-Mare (£168,593) and Felixstowe (£179,817) also offer both a high quality of life and affordable property prices.

Seaside Towns with the Highest Quality of Life
1 – Christchurch, South West, Average Property Price:£262,472
2 – Leigh on Sea, South East, Average Property Price:£220,669
3 – Bexhill on Sea, South East, Average Property Price:£193,405
4 – Shoreham by Sea, South East, Average Property Price:£221,538
5 – Exmouth, South West, Average Property Price:£202,148
6 – Southend on Sea, South East, Average Property Price:£179,717
7 – Poole, South West, Average Property Price:£254,711
8 – Herne Bay, South East, Average Property Price:£188,516
9 – Whitstable, South East, Average Property Price:£218,712
10 – Felixstowe, East Anglia, Average Property Price:£179,817
11 – Bridlington, Yorkshire & Humber, Average Property Price:£139,645
12 – Weston Super Mare, South West, Average Property Price:£168,593
13 – Worthing, South East, Average Property Price:£209,801
14 – Weymouth, South West, Average Property Price:£209,121
15 – Great Yarmouth, East Anglia, Average Property Price:£142,860
16 – Brighton, South East, Average Property Price:£237,047
17 – Lowestoft, East Anglia, Average Property Price:£141,878
18 – Littlehampton, South East, Average Property Price:£212,396
19 – Bournemouth, South West, Average Property Price:£208,831
20 – Scarborough, Yorkshire & Humber, Average Property Price:£151,652

Expense is in the South West
Halifax reported that the most expensive seaside town in Britain is Sandbanks in Dorset with an average price of £488,761. Sandbanks is one of the most expensive towns of any description in the UK. Nine of the ten most expensive seaside towns are in the South West.

Padstow in Cornwall (£334,385) and Milford on Sea in Hampshire (£326,277) are the next most expensive seaside towns after Sandbanks.

Opportunities for seaside town buyers exist in the South East
There are sixteen seaside towns which trade at a discount of at least 20% to the average house price in their county. The discount is largest in Margate (30%) and Dover (29%) in Kent. Seven of the sixteen towns trading at a 20% discount are located in the South East of England. However, there also towns with a discount of at least 20% in the North, Yorkshire & the Humber and East Anglia.

Seaham, in the North of England, was ranked 10th with a house price increase of 63% over three years to an average price of £121,956. Twenty four of the 117 seaside towns surveyed experienced a rise in average house prices of 50% or more between March 2004 and March 2007.

Scottish seaside towns best performers over three years
Over the past three years, the seaside town with the biggest house price increase was Eyemouth, in the Scottish Borders, with prices up by 82% to £155,278. Out of the ten largest increases over three years, the top nine were all in Scotland.

Colin Kemp, Managing Director, Halifax Estate Agents, said: “Seaside towns tend to have house prices that are at a premium to their surrounding areas and have generally seen strong house price growth over the past few years.

There are still some bargains to be had for home buyers. Bridlington, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth are the three seaside towns in Britain that offer the best value for money. Several seaside towns in the South East also offer a combination of relatively low property prices and a high quality of life.”

Seaside Towns offering Best Value for Money (Source Halifax)
Bridlington, Yorkshire & Humber, Average Property Price:£139,645
Lowestoft, East Anglia, Average Property Price:£141,878
Great Yarmouth, East Anglia, Average Property Price:£142,860
Scarborough, Yorkshire & Humber, Average Property Price:£151,652
Weston Super Mare, South West, Average Property Price:£168,593
Southend on Sea, South East, Average Property Price:£179,717
Felixstowe, East Anglia, Average Property Price:£179,817
Herne Bay, South East, Average Property Price:£188,516
Bexhill on Sea, South East, Average Property Price:£193,405

Strongest price rises – top 5, (Source Halifax)
Eyemouth, Scotland, up 82% over 3 years
Stranraer, Scotland, up 74% over 3 years
Girvan, Scotland, up 73% over 3 years
Nairn, Scotland, up 71% over 3 years
Kirkcaldy, Scotland, up 71% over 3 years