Appears in Newsflare picks
00:59

Clifftop homes sold for bargain prices - but could fall into sea

Content Partner Cover Image
Content Partner Profile Image
Uploaded by a Newsflare content partner

Buy video

Clifftop homes with stunning views are being sold in a coastal village for

as little as £30k - but the catch is they could fall into the sea.

At least three properties along the Marrams in Hemsby, Norfolk, are being sold for £30k - £50k' although estate agent blurb does not explicitly say they are under threat from coastal erosion.

One now-£50k property has had £10k knocked off its guide price this week perfect for 'a relaxed, coastal lifestyle'.

However the bungalows sit along the fastest-eroding stretch of coastline in Europe, where fierce storms can wash away 20 metres of beach overnight.

Projections by government officials suggest many of the homes along the Marrams will be lost within the next 50 years.

Properties on the Marrams are considered the most at risk due to their proximity to the beach.

Homes do come with a disclaimer that buyers are advised to do 'their own due diligence with their solicitor and surveyor in regards to environmental changes in the area'.

But council officials blasted estate agents for not making it clearer that the homes face being lost to the sea and urged them to 'have a moral duty.'

Estate agents have defended the sales and say some buyers don't care about coastal erosion and Hemsby was an affordable area.

In July, a wooden chalet teetering on the cliff edge sold for under £10,000.

One two-bedroom bungalow listed for £50k is described as chain-free and 'offers stunning sea views and a relaxed, coastal lifestyle'.

The detached property is listed as having an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room with an established garden and off-road parking.

Another, described as estate agents Minors & Brady as an 'ideal holiday residence', has sold subject to conditions for £30k and has 'direct access onto sandy beaches and dunes'.

The two-bedroom white bungalow is described as being in a 'prime elevated position' with a fitted kitchen and family bathroom.

One cash-buy home is a two-bedroom chalet sold for £60k with two spacious bedrooms and offers 'offers the perfect blend of comfort, charm, and coastal living'.

Natasha Hayes, executive director for places at Great Yarmouth Brough Council (GYBC) said: "Homes are still being sold now. It is awful for the people that are buying them."

"We do not advise people to purchase these properties. "

"Local estate agents should have a moral duty."

Locals still living along the crumbling coastline said earlier this week that access was becoming more limited and some residents had to use their neighbour's gardens to get to their front doors.

It is understood that some residents of Hemsby are not year-round homemakers but rather use the coast as their holiday homes.

But long-term residents are facing having to leave their homes as the cliff edge erodes.

Pascal Rose, 51, has registered herself homeless after she was told her house was at imminent risk.

She told the BBC : "I was advised two weeks ago my home was in the red zone."

"I am taking everything left out of my property into a storage unit, to be prepared for demolition. I've got days."

"It would be a case of myself just picking my dog up and my suitcase and going, but with nowhere to go."

Great Yarmouth Borough Council said it is not legally possible for it to compensate homeowners at risk of erosion due to government policy.

However, it says that via its partners at Coastal Partnership East, they continue to lobby Government for the rules to be changed.

Categories

Tags

From the blog

Stories not Stock: 3 Reasons Why You Should Use UGC Instead of Stock Video

Video content is an essential part of a brand’s marketing strategy, and while stock footage has been a reliable go-to in the past, forward-thinking companies are looking to user-generated content for their video needs.

View post
Content Partner Cover Image
Content Partner Profile Image
Uploaded by a Newsflare content partner

Buy video