With such cold weather plaguing the UK well into April, there is another area of UK property sales which is also suffering a major downturn; our beloved Beach Huts!
Quintessentially British, the seafront beach hut has afforded many families a wonderful way to holiday right on the beach. During the property boom, many huts were enhanced to offer luxury bathrooms or living spaces which sent prices soaring.
Depending on location and standard of accommodation prices range from around £5,000 to an incredible £250,000. Since the property crash and financial downturn, the buying and selling of beach huts have, as you might imagine, suffered.
Many people who own huts, benefit from great rental income to tourists, however the costs of owning a hut have increased over the years in ground rent and maintenance charges. If an owner does decide to sell, it now appears to become quite difficult. In today’s market, mortgage lending for a beach hut just doesn’t happen, so sales generally have to be cash.
For some of the more expensive beach huts, this poses a significant problem and certainly reduces the number of readily available buyers.
I love the colourful beach huts which line our sandy shores, and it’s certainly a tradition that should stand the test of time. It’s at the top of those quirky British aspects which brings forth the tourist to our beaches; it would be a shame to see the beach hut life die out.
So what can be done? Well there are many different rules and regulations depending on the location of the hut. Some local Councils do not allow occupants to stay overnight, others don’t have nearby facilities such as toilets and water supplies.
Perhaps there is a case for establishing a lending facility which will keep this essential beach front tradition going. Maybe further investment into the services which can be provided or a relaxation of some of the long-standing restrictive rules in order to offer more flexibility to the owner.
The colour and flair of the UK’s wonderful beach huts needs to be maintained and protected!