Seaside homes struggling to sell after Covid boom

Homes located near the sea are now taking three weeks longer to sell on average than they did during the "race for space" fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a property website.

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Rightmove said the speed at which homes in coastal areas are finding buyers has slowed, from an average time of 52 days in 2021 to 73 days in 2025a difference of 21 days, or three weeks.

A report from the website looked at how some trends seen during the pandemic have changed.

More flexible working patterns and a general reassessment of living priorities during the pandemic helped to fuel a surge in popularity for areas by the coast and countryside.

Across a sample of more than 100 coastal areas across Britain, the average asking price for a home near the sea increased by 4.5% annually in March 2021, nearly double the 2.7% yearly growth seen across the whole of Britain over the same period, as demand rose.

Now, in 2025, average asking prices have risen by 1% across coastal areas compared with last year, in line with the rest of Britain, Rightmove said.

The website has also seen changing trends in London.

In March 2021, less than half (47%) of potential home-buyers in London were looking to stay in the capital, versus 59% the year before, Rightmove said.