Why buyers are paying six figures for beach huts, according to a property expert

There’s a shed in Mudeford, Dorset, that costs more than a four-bedroom house in Sunderland. It has no running water, no electricity worth speaking of, and you're not even allowed to sleep in it.

And yet people – sensible people with a 4 wheel drive and a MyWaitrose card – queue up to hand over hundreds of thousands of pounds to own one.

Welcome to the strange world of… The Great British Beach Hut. But put the eye-watering, five numbers plus the bonus ball-like sums to one side for a moment.

Why is a purchase such a potentially crazy decision? Well, let's look at the risks, because there are plenty.

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You rarely buy the land, just the hut, perched on a cliff-edge and a lease from the council, who can hike the annual fees seemingly at will.

Insurance isn’t a breeze because storms are not. One bad winter and your investment could be matchwood halfway to France.

Add vandalism, salt damage, and rules so strict you'd think you'd bought a listed cathedral rather than a glorified garden shed, and the case against looks strong.

Are they an investment? In the way a classic car is – kind of. Prices have soared, and the best spots hold value because we’re just not making any more seafront.

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But this is a market driven by sunshine, sentiment and the wider economy. The best are snapped up by types who have just made a killing in tech stocks, AI or crypto.

When money is easy, luxury goods – a nobody can claim a beach hut is ‘essential’ - rocket in value.

But it can cool as quickly as a British summer. Buy one expecting it to fund your retirement, and you may be disappointed.

Would I buy one? No. I've spent my career around property, and it’s the maths that makes me nervous. Financially, they should make no sense at all. And yet…

I understand entirely why people want one. Because a beach hut isn't really a property at all.

It's a kettle, a deckchair, and a front-row seat to the sea. It's grandchildren with crabbing buckets and bacon sandwiches in a force five gale.

Has anyone ever said they wish they'd spent less time on a beautiful beach? Well, perhaps Tom Hanks in Castaway did, but you get my drift.

So no, it's not an investment. But if you really, really want one – do it! Because then, you’ll have your very own expensive, slightly leaky, irreplaceable slice of happiness.

Property expert Jonathan Rolandeis the founder of House Buy Fast. For more information visit https://rolande.property/

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