April's average asking price of a house in Britain has leapt to £327,797 according to the latest figures, a 2.1% monthly jump from the same number in March — equating to an average increase of £6,733.
Yet the rise may not be quite what it seems: the data comes from number crunchers at online property portal Rightmove, who also suggest that a relative dearth of new properties on the market is behind the increase. Many are putting off selling their house until they've been vaccinated against Covid-19, and while all over-45s are now being offered the jab, tens of millions — who will most likely be first-and second-time-buyers — are yet to get one of the jabs.
Many of the first-time buyers in that bracket will also be unaffected by the end of the Stamp Duty holiday in June, since first-time buyers in England will continue to be exempt from Stamp Duty up to £300,000. As ever with the property market, there are more questions than answers about how things will shake out in the next six months.
One area in which there is no equivocation about soaring prices is perhaps the smallest niche of the whole property market: beach huts. Research by a hotel booking service called Hoo suggest that the average asking price for a beach hut in Britain has shot up from £25,578 to £36,034 in the past year — a rise of 41%.
The company also picks out the example of a beach hut in Mudeford, a few miles along the coast from Bournemouth, where a beach hut has just sold for £325,000.
An outlandish price to be sure, though it does at least theoretically sleep six; we came across another hut nearby that's decided garden-shed-like in proportions with a price tag of £55,000. That's in line with what you'll pay in places such as Whitstable — we found this one on the market for £50,000.
If you're looking for something further north, however, this hut in Norfolk, at Hunstanton, is just £21,000, and while the sea defences rob it of the views, the beach here is huge, beautiful and sandy.
The beach hut at Hunstanton is for sale at £21,000 — beach hut at Hunstanton is for sale at £21,000 or enquire with the agent for the details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Can't you hear me S.O.S? Our treasured native dog breeds are at risk of extinctionDo you know your Kerry blue terrier from your Lancashire heeler? A simple lack of publicity is often to blame for some of the UK's native dog breeds flying dangerously low under-the-radar.
-
'There are architects and architects, but only one ARCHITECT': Sir Edwin Lutyens and the wartime Chancellor who helped launch his stellar careerClive Aslet explores the relationship between Sir Edwin Lutyens and perhaps his most important private client, the politician and financier Reginald McKenna.
-
If heaven is on earth, it might be in this home with a converted chapel that is now a swimming pool5 Wood Barton Town House is part of an exclusive 80-acre development in Devon that also comes with fishing rights on the River Avon and four bedrooms.
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in DorsetWith 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
-
An eight-bedroom wonder in East Sussex where the outdoors are an adventureThe interiors of Old Middleton are pretty good too.
-
A lakeside farmhouse on the market in the beautiful heart of PembrokeshireA lake, streams, 15 acres and five bedrooms. Rogershook might have it all.
-
An idyllic countryside home that's light, spacious and comes with a Grade II-listed follyHagg House is a gorgeous family home that just happens to have a miniature castle in the gardens. Annabel Dixon explains more.
-
A historic villa for sale on the Via Nomentana worthy of Rome's rich historyThree floors, lots of balconies, and a private garden in one of Rome's loveliest neighbourhoods.
-
Eight bedrooms of unlisted Edwardian elegance with sweeping views of SomersetAshton House sits near the market town of Chard and comes with a wealth of amenities both inside and out.
-
A waterside cottage in Devon with a private quay, idyllic views and the prettiest summerhouse we've seen in yearsRight beside the picturesque Yealm Estuary, No 1 Noss Mayo is an idyllic home that feels like an escape from the world. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
