OT - Living in a seafront or clifftop house

[Uncle C]

Has anyone any personal experience?

Apart from the views and potential for landslip and/or flooding what other things such as salt corrosian need to be considered.

I am thinking Telscombe Cliffs or Seaford.

 

[BLOCK F]

The wind!

 

[Uncle C]

The wind!

Does it cause real damage or is it just a bit chilly?

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Repainting the outside of your house at least every 2 years

 

[Barrel of Fun]

My sister lives on the edge at Burling Gap.

The house is not painted, so there is no real issue there.

Very windy which can cause problems with the roof tiles. There is an element of corrosion from the salty air, but if you look after the house, then there aren't any big issues. The biggest pitfall, obviously, being coastal erosion. I'm sure the Environment Agency will be able to tell you about a specific area for a small fee.

 

[Gully]

Think about your car...all that wind blown moist salty air is great...as long as you like rust!

 

[So.CalGull]

My sister lives on the edge at Burling Gap.

The house is not painted, so there is no real issue there.

Very windy which can cause problems with the roof tiles. There is an element of corrosion from the salty air, but if you look after the house, then there aren't any big issues. The biggest pitfall, obviously, being coastal erosion. I'm sure the Environment Agency will be able to tell you about a specific area for a small fee.

Lucky lady Mr.BoF. Are you talking about the terraced houses across from the hotel? If so they have been slowly eaten away from the coastal erosion you mention for many years.

They are very solid looking properties which would stand forever but for the weakness of the chalk cliffs. Especially as that is the most exposed South Westerly facing stretch of coastline in the area, not helped when the prevailing wind is South Westerly. Would have done anything to have lived in one of those, just to be that close to the beach.

Lived in Seaford for 30 years and many friends with houses/flats along the front, nearly all had issues with damp and water leaks, for some reason most of the family homes along Seaford seafront have flat roofs, great design, not. These flat roofs allowed the wind to get in and under the roofing and cause constant water/damp issues.

 

[The Brighton Bear]

Is that near Birling Gap?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Sorry, yes on both counts. I was typing too quickly.

Solid they are, but bloomin' freezing. It was -4 in the kitchen not so long ago - Estate Agent spiel = Walk in fridge.

They don't own or rent it, so no big deal about the erosion. Let the National Trust worry about that. I believe the furthest from the coast has a life span of 25 years now, although obviously that is a guesstimate.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

You should be aware of the chance of blight, and expect to receive less money then what you paid for it, if the area is classified a coastal change management area through the Local Plan review.

 

[Safeway]

They don't own or rent it

They squat?

Uncle C, I don't think you need to worry about flooding on a clifftop.

I live on the seafront (Hove, actually) and it's bloody lovely. Can get a bit BLOWY but that's more than compensated for in the spring/summer. Opening the curtains to a sun-kissed Channel is a WONDERFUL sight.

 

[So.CalGull]

Sorry, yes on both counts. I was typing too quickly.

Solid they are, but bloomin' freezing. It was -4 in the kitchen not so long ago - Estate Agent spiel = Walk in fridge.

They don't own or rent it, so no big deal about the erosion. Let the National Trust worry about that. I believe the furthest from the coast has a life span of 25 years now, although obviously that is a guesstimate.

- 4, no ta...I would expect the hotel to fall on to the beach long before then, sounds like a nice way to live, don't own it or rent it!!!

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Grace and favour, so I guess they rent it in real terms.

The National Trust have just taken over the hotel/cafe and given it a refurb. Rather nice place now.

 

[So.CalGull]

A make over eh? Good news the NT got hold of that place, it was stuck in the 70's for ever. Many, many hours spent in the cafe waiting for high tide to pass, then just as many hours spent in the thatched bar drinking our first pints aged 15/16...the village copper would come and join in nearly every night as well. Those were the days...

For the OP Uncle C. If you can find one in good shape, go for it, the experience of living on the beach is one that you will never regret, the thought of living inland now is frightening. Going to Lewes felt like going to the Midlands.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Think about your car...all that wind blown moist salty air is great...as long as you like rust!

This.

It's a long time since I lived in Burlington Street, Kemp Town, or Osborne Villas, Hove, but I am certain that my old Ford Anglia suffered from really bad rust because of where it was parked, rather than how it was built.

Maybe vehicles have been better built since 1962 and salty air is no longer the problem it was. But I'd be wary.

 

[Uncle C]

For the OP Uncle C. If you can find one in good shape, go for it, the experience of living on the beach is one that you will never regret, the thought of living inland now is frightening. Going to Lewes felt like going to the Midlands.

Its more for a bolt hole, so I can stay for a few days and get across to Falmer easily. It might well be empty for periods during the winter so coastal damage becomes important, and I dont want to spend all my time there doing painting etc.

I do like the idea of seeing the sea from the lounge.

 

[Janbha]

just off the seafront on a hill and the only thing ive really noticed is that need constant cleaning are the windows , when its a onshore wind you can pretty much guarentee its windolene time

 

[Uncle C]

What got me concerned, was that about 9 months ago we looked at some fairly new houses about 40 meters off Seaford seafront. On most houses in the development the wind and rain had eaten away the mortar between the bricks up to about an inch deep. In some places it was so bad you could put your fingers into the cavity.

Not good.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I've just remembered the incident of the broken window in Burlington Street. A howling gale caused the first floor seaward-facing side window of a set of square bay windows to blow in and spread shattered glass (and rain) all over my bed. The landlady tried to insist that I must have been standing in the street, throwing stones at my own bedroom window and that I was therefore responsible for paying for the damage. Decades on, I still can't imagine ANY reason why someone would want to throw stones through their own unoccupied bedroom window. Especially in a gale.

 

[HastingsSeagull]

Hastings Old Town but got one row of houses between me and the sea so blocked from any direct wind. Windows look a state often but other than a lick of paint every 5 years nothing more than other homes I feel. Walk to the shops can be blustery though in winter.