Coastal House Prices Are Rising Fastest in the UK — What It Means for Equity Release

The coastal price surge

Rightmove's May 2026 data identifies UK coastal towns as the country's strongest performing property markets. While the national average asking price has fallen 0.3% year-on-year, a number of coastal locations have posted double-digit gains:

• Bootle, Merseyside: +11% year-on-year, average asking price £141,680
• Crosby, Liverpool: +9% year-on-year, average asking price £330,900
• Penarth, South Glamorgan: +9% year-on-year, average asking price £433,081
• Llantwit Major: +8% year-on-year
• Llanelli: +7% year-on-year

At the premium end of the coastal market, Sandbanks in Poole remains the most expensive coastal location in the UK, with an average asking price of £1,119,945. The contrast with the national picture is stark: while the UK overall has seen asking prices fall slightly, coastal towns — across Wales, the North West, and the South — are delivering meaningful growth.

Why rising values matter for equity release

The amount you could release through a lifetime mortgage is based on your property's value at the time of application, combined with your age. If your coastal property has increased in value since you purchased it, or since you last had an equity release assessment, the accessible equity has grown alongside it.

To give a practical illustration: a homeowner who was assessed two years ago and told they could potentially release £80,000 might now be able to release £90,000–£100,000 on the same home, if local values have moved up by 9–11%. That additional equity could release equity for a different set of retirement needs.

It is important to get a fresh valuation and up-to-date advice rather than relying on a figure from a previous enquiry. Lender valuations and loan-to-value calculations change as market conditions evolve, and the figures from two years ago may no longer reflect what is available today. There is no obligation to proceed once an assessment has been carried out.

Staying put vs downsizing to the coast

The rising coastal market creates two distinct planning scenarios for homeowners aged 55 and over:

• Existing coastal homeowners who want to access their growing equity without moving can use a lifetime mortgage. This allows them to release cash from their property while retaining the right to remain in their home for life. The loan is repaid from the property sale when it eventually passes to their estate.
• Over-55s wanting to move to the coast may find that a standard repayment residential mortgage is not available to them, particularly if they are retired or have variable income. A retirement interest-only (RIO) mortgage can fund a coastal property purchase: you pay the interest each month, and the capital is repaid when the property is sold. This makes coastal retirement moves more achievable for those without access to conventional mortgage products.

In an active coastal market, both scenarios are achievable. Properties are selling, lenders are active, and valuations are supported by recent comparable transactions. If either scenario is relevant to your plans, the time to get advice is now rather than after the market moves on.

Affordable coastal markets

Equity release is not exclusively for owners of premium properties. The Bootle average asking price of £141,680 is a clear illustration that coastal equity release applies at modest property values too. Most lifetime mortgage lenders set a minimum property value of between £70,000 and £100,000, meaning that a wide range of coastal properties across Wales, the North West, and South Wales fall comfortably within lending criteria.

The equity available from a £141,000 property will be smaller than from a £433,000 property, but the principle is the same. For a homeowner in Bootle who has owned their property for a decade or more, the equity is real — and it is there to be used if needed.

Equity release is for all coastal homeowners, not just those with premium properties. A Verity Home adviser can assess what could be available on any qualifying coastal property and explain the options in plain English. Always seek regulated financial advice before making any decision about equity release.

Learn more: Equity release calculator, Retirement interest-only mortgage, Downsizing and equity release