The Rise of the Beach Hut

Summers of old meant sun soaked beaches across the sea, European holiday destinations and deciphering menus with an English/insert-appropriate-language-here phrasebook.

Now we’ve done a full 360, as estate agents welcome the ‘great beach hut rush’ – property prices for the traditional holiday home may be flagging but for many the concept of a beach cabin (cheaper than a timeshare, closer to home, no extra baggage charges!)  is increasingly attractive.

The beach hut- also known as a beach cabin or the less glamorously termed ‘bathing hut’-  is a wooden structure, often brightly coloured. They’re mostly used to shelter from the sun or wind, change into swimming costumes and generally store all those things you don’t want to lug to the beach. Some have cookers facilities and kettles, and others are fancier still.
There are still beach hut gems to be had up and down the coastline, however.  It seems it’s just a matter of finding one that won’t result in a second mortgage.

While the Queen was the proud owner of a beach hut for over 70 years before it was destroyed in a fire, the modern day ‘ great beach hut rush’ trend has been spearheaded by Rowan Atkinson and Michael Palin, who have both bought up genteel beach huts in the popular resort of Southwold, where a simple hut can cost between £15,000 and £25,000.

It’s an expensive price tag for something that’s essentially a glorified 12ft by 8ft shed- and in many areas it’s even illegal to sleep in the huts- so no saving on hotels costs then.

Local councils are now twigging that something isn’t quite right- many have sought to control the inflation of beach hut prices and rents. With 20,000 beach huts across the UK, it was only a matter of time before sellers would begin to capitalise on their sudden popularity. One hut, located on Chesil Beach and in possession of “staggering views”, has been placed on the market for a stunning £325,000….a price tag which could buy a house or an impressive flat in many of the UK’s biggest cities. At just over 520 square foot, council tax mounts up to £1,032 a year. What ever happened to the cheerful holiday-at-home beach hut alternative?