IF YOU dream of a home by the sea then read on to find out the UK’s latest coastal property hotspots.

Online estate agent Zoopla has compiled a list of the most sought-after coastal areas with Broadstairs taking top spot.

Property prices at the Kentish seaside resort have soared by 10.54 per cent in the past 12 months.

Meanwhile the previous winner, Margate, has fallen to fifth place, after seeing prices rise by 6.86 per cent in the past year.

Explaining the appeal of top property hotspot Broadstairs, which is just a one and a half hour journey from London, Zoopla spokesman Lawrence Hall, said: “With Broadstairs’ Dickensian history and proximity to London, it’s easy to see why it tops the list of this year’s best performing seaside hotspots.”

The seaside town with the highest value properties is Salcombe in Devon, where the average property value is £635,435 – an increase of £13,156 in the past year.

Several of the seaside resorts in Zoopla’s list have undergone major regeneration projects in recently years, including Blyth in Northumberland where prices have risen by 5.64 per cent since June 2016 and Southend in Sea where prices have risen 4.89 per cent.

Mr Hall said: “The likes of Blyth and Southend-on-Sea have enjoyed multi-million pound investments recently, helping to increase their desirability.”

There were eight new coastal hotspots in the league: Broadstairs, Sidmouth, Penzance, Falmouth, Clacton-on-Sea, Blyth, Newquay and Southend-on-Sea.