Where to buy on the Yorkshire coast with big budgets and small

Due to more people working from home and the pandemic induced “let’s just do it before it’s too late” mentality, house prices in these sought-after areas have risen exponentially.

Still, for those who love to dream and those with deep pockets, there is a pretty one-bedroom cottage in Runswick Bay for £325,000 with Blenkin and Co. and, new to the market with Richardson and Smith estate agents, is Hillcrest, which looks set to cause excitement. Priced at £995,000, it is in the desirable lower part of the village with fabulous sea and beach views.

The detached four-bedroom house has “upside down” accommodation with two double bedrooms, a single bedroom plus an ensuite and a bathroom on the lower ground floor and on the upper floor is a lounge, kitchen-diner and a single bedroom. The elevated rear garden looks over the beach and sea.

If you can’t afford Runswick Bay, look at the well-served neighbouring village of Hinderwell. It is just under a mile inland and you can still find terraced houses there for around £170,000.

In Sandsend, the lowest priced home is £425,000 for a two-bedroom apartment with Blenkin and Co. and the highest is a four-bedroom house for £870,000 with Carter Jonas. Fresh on the market is 9 Sandsend Court, a large, three bedroom apartment with truly exceptional views over the coast, that is being marketed by Carter Jonas with a price of offers over £550,000.

Robin Hood’s Bay is slightly less expensive, especially if you buy in the upper part of the village, as is Staithes where you get more bang for your buck. In the middle price range is Whitby. According to Rightmove data, the majority of sales in Whitby during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £257,998. Flats sold for an average of £196,761, with semi-detached properties fetching £279,847. Sold prices in Whitby over the last year were up four per cent on the previous year and 23 per cent up on the 2020 prices.

Also in the middle is Filey with an average house price of £237,272 and Saltburn, which is along the coast towards Teesside. Saltburn was a low value area but was elevated to the mid-range during the pandemic and rightly so. Prices here are down seven per cent on last year with flats selling for an average of £161,452 and terraced properties fetching £257,234.

Mid to low is Scarborough, aka Scarbados, the town that became Britain’s first ever seaside resort. It suffered in the 1980s recession but it has recovered and has a huge amount to offer, not least its beautiful bays. Culturally it is king thanks to the Stephen Joseph theatre, the Scarborough Spa and a growing number of artists and makers who call it home.

Yes, the town centre needs a lift but no matter, investors creating upmarket holiday lets are busy boosting Scarborough’s appeal. You can buy an apartment from £80,000 and a terraced house from £120,000 in reasonable areas and the beautiful, old town, which is close to the beach, offers beautiful Georgian homes, including a four-bedroom house with views over the harbour for £325,000 and a lovely three-bedroom terraced house on Barwick Street for £165,000, both with Colin Ellis.

Going low, you’ll find bargains in Bridlington, Flamborough, Hornsea and on the Holderness peninsular. Brid’s town centre is less vibrant than in its mid-century heyday but the town still has a great deal to offer including glorious beaches and its historic quarter. The average house price is £188,749.

The Holderness peninsula, which stretches from Skipsea to Spurn Point, is glorious and its beaches a boon for fossil hunters. Pictured above is two-bedroom Seahorn Cottage in Hornsea, £155,000, with HPS estate agents. It is picture perfect inside and out.

Another tip for those on a budget is to move your search area slightly inland to surrounding villages. The benefits include being out of the hustle and bustle in the summer season plus house prices are generally less expensive. Be warned that there are lots of apartments for sale by the sea and it’s vital you get a good conveyancer to check the lease and the terms and conditions before you buy.