Striking Essex beach hut no bigger than a garden shed goes on sale for a staggering £70,000 amid soaring demand for ‘staycation’ boltholes
- Brightly-decorated seafront shack in Thorpe Bay boasts a Minnie Mouse theme
- Foreign travel restrictions mean many Brits will be staying in the UK this summer
- Average price of shacks has risen from £27,805 to £35,919 since last September
A striking Essex beach hut no bigger than a garden shed has gone on sale for a staggering £70,000 as demand for ‘staycation’ boltholes continues to soar.
The brightly-decorated seafront shack boasts something of a Minnie Mouse theme, with red and white paint on the outside, white polka-dots against a bright red background on the gables, and a red heart shape on top.
Inside, the pink and red colour scheme continues, with a red and white polka-dot bench seat, matching kitchen utensils, and bright red cupboard doors.
But despite its small size, the building in Thorpe Bay comes with a huge price tag amid growing demand for UK holidays this summer, with foreign travel restrictions still likely to be in place over the coming months.
The brightly-decorated seafront shack boasts something of a Minnie Mouse theme, with red and white paint on the outside, white polka-dots against a bright red background on the gables, and a red heart shape on top
Inside, the pink and red colour scheme continues, with a red and white polka-dot bench seat, matching kitchen utensils, and bright red cupboard doors
The red and white polka-dot theme appears to be consistent throughout the inside of the beach hut in Thorpe Bay, Essex
Where are the best beaches to get a hut?
Source: Countryfile
Prices to buy and rent wooden shacks have rocketed despite most having few utilities and mainly being used for storage.
Property website OnTheMarket found estate agents have seen searches surge by 259 per cent this month compared to six months ago.
But there is a shortage of huts available across the country, with the average price increasing from £27,805 to £35,919 since September last year.
Mudeford in Christchurch, Dorset, has the most expensive ones in Britain – where they regularly sell for over £300,000.
Resorts that before the first lockdown had unwanted beach chalets on their books for months sold them as soon as the country opened up last summer, while many estate agents now have lengthy waiting lists of people eager to get their hands on a coastal getaway.
The trend is not popular with everyone, however, with beachgoers in Sussex furious over plans to modernise old-fashioned huts, which they say look like shipping containers.
Angry locals have raged that the funky, slanted designs are ‘ghastly’ and ‘over bearing’.
But despite its small size, the building in Thorpe Bay comes with a huge price tag amid growing demand for UK holidays this summer, with foreign travel restrictions still likely to be in place over the coming months
Ricky Foker, manager of Home, which is selling the hut in Thorpe Bay, said: ‘It went on the market last Monday and we’ve already had a few enquiries about the hut’
Inside, the beach hut offers a fitted kitchen, and plenty of base and wall units for storage
Out the front, there is a spacious deck area to take in the views of Southend’s famous pier and panoramic views of the Thames Estuary
A beach hut has gone up for sale for a whopping £325,000 – and it doesn’t even face the sea.
The front of the 16ft by 10ft wooden cabin on the exclusive Mudeford Spit in Christchurch, Dorset, points inland with a view over a lagoon.
The back faces towards the sea, but there are some other huts in the way that prevent an uninterrupted view. The hut also lacks a toilet or washing facilities.
The front of the 16ft by 10ft wooden cabin (circled) on the exclusive Mudeford Spit in Christchurch, Dorset, points inland with a view over a lagoon. The back faces towards the sea, but there is another hut in the way
Meanwhile, a six-bedroom house in Manchester with four bathrooms and off road parking was recently listed on Zoopla for £320,000.
The hut already has a waiting list and is expected it to be snapped up quickly thanks to Covid-related demand for staycations and Brexit making it more complicated to buy holiday homes on the Continent.
The innovative architectural plan would see 72 multicoloured beach huts split across two levels at Lowestoft, Suffolk, as part of a £2.5million revamp of the parade by the council.
The new huts would replace the old-fashioned concrete chalets, which had to close due to safety concerns in 2016.
The plans for the modern redevelopment by architects Chaplin Farrant were made public this month, but the designs sparked a backlash from some beachgoers.
Ricky Foker, manager of Home, which is selling the hut in Thorpe Bay, said: ‘It went on the market last Monday and we’ve already had a few enquiries about the hut.
‘We’re hoping as we are now easing out of lockdown we will be able to book in a few viewings soon.
‘It certainly is eye-catching. It’s been in the family for some time and offers a rare opportunity to own a top beach hut like this in the location.
‘What makes this so special is the location and the position just close to St Augustines Avenue in Thorpe Bay and the The Broadway shopping parade in the town.’
Ricky added: ‘The thing about beach huts is that the present such a fantastic opportunity – that is why the prices are getting higher.
‘A couple of years ago we had a hut a few doors down from this one sell for £80,000.
‘It’s still early doors but we expect more enquiries about this one.’
The seafront hut boasts twin opening doors to the interior, and outside offers gorgeous, uninterrupted sweeping sea view stretching towards the Kent coastline.
Inside, it offers a fitted kitchen, and plenty of base and wall units for storage.
And out the front, there is a spacious deck area to take in the views of Southend’s famous pier and panoramic views of the Thames Estuary.
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