15 hours ago
Tiny beach hut in popular staycation hotspot on the market for £120,000 - but there's a catch
A tiny beach hut in a popular staycation hotspot has gone on the market for £120,000 - but there's a catch.
The blue and white striped chalet, known as Hut 319, is located on Thorpe Bay beach in Southend-on-Sea.
Propped up on stilts on the sandy beach, it also has a balcony for enjoying the views of the Thames estuary.
The is a maximum capacity for ten people, with pictures showing a small padded bench as a rustic sofa, a small kitchen with cupboards, a sink and a hob.
The listing reads: 'As the hut sits opposite the Yacht Club and is east of the slipway, access to the beach is not obvious, so this part of the beach is normally much quieter than the main beach.
'Thorpe Bay Yacht Club is 100 yards away and membership would give you free parking, a bar with food and toilet and shower facilities.
'Or [a] five minute walk to Uncle Toms Cabin for food, drink, ice cream and toilets.
'Public seafront parking 100 yards. Stunning walks on the sand flats out to the Mulberry harbour at low tide to see seals, this stretch of the beach is the closest access to the Mulberry.'
The is a maximum capacity for ten people, with pictures showing a small padded bench as a rustic sofa, a small kitchen with cupboards, a sink and a hob
However, there is one catch for the person who decides to pay the six-figure sum - there is no toilet or bed with the nearest facilities 399 metres away.
As the beach hut is located opposite the yacht club and is east of the slipway, the listing says access to the part of the beach it is on is 'not obvious' - meaning it usually remains quieter than the main part.
Hut 319 is currently on the market with and is one of two beach huts currently being sold at £120,000.
Owners of huts are currently blaming hikes in rates and taxes for a slump in the market.
Last December, a wooden beach hut on a pristine Dorset sandbank was bought for £485,000 - making it one of Britain's most expensive.
Local Jamie Smith, who has been documenting the huts, said at the time that prices had skyrocketed since he moved to the area five years ago.
He added: 'They are just sheds, let's be honest!
'The reason they are so popular is because of their location.
'Since I've lived here the first sale was around 300k which I thought was ludicrous and they've just shot up.
'This recent one apparently sold in less than 24 hours.
'They're probably a good investment long-term but as for living you're not allowed to live in them for half the year.'
The comments come after two other beach huts have been sold over the past year for £480,000 and £415,000 - both without a toilet, running water or gas.
Over the past 20 years prices for beach huts at Mudeford have shot up from £80,000 to almost £500,000.
Beach hut values have soared in value in the last few decades, thanks in no small part to the rise in staycationers since the Covid pandemic.
The record price paid for one was £575,000 in September 2021.
