Coastal properties

[Papergirl1968]

In a few years, when my teenage daughters are a bit older, and my elderly DM is no longer with us, I’m planning on moving to the coast.
I know the town I want to live in - Tywyn in mid Wales - as it’s where I’ve holidayed very often.
Coming from the landlocked Midlands, I would love to overlook the sea, and Tywyn has a row of house which back on to the sea - most have access from their back gardens on to a path from which you can go down some steps on to the beach.
I think in winter storms the gardens might get some spray when the tide is in, but that’s all and there’s no coastal erosion or chance of the houses falling into the sea as far as I can see. They are not on a cliff or anything.
Other than it being a bit wild and windy at times, can anyone think of any other disadvantage to living so close to the sea? Are such houses likely to require a lot of maintenance or repair because of the salt, for example?
Most of the properties in this particular street are holiday lets, but they’re usually rented to families and we’ve never experienced any rowdy behaviour. Not having regular neighbours wouldn’t bother me.
Or bearing in mind I’ll probably be in my mid 50s by then, would it be better to look for a ground floor flat along the seafront - still with sea views but not as good and separated from the beach by a road? Or maybe a bungalow a couple of roads back from the seafront?
Obviously I can’t do anything yet and it will depend to some extent how much I can afford to spend but I like to keep an eye on the property market there, and to plan and dream!

We live about a mile from the harbour. We have to reliant our wooden windows and doors about every 5 years (previous non coastal house 10 years) , the metal handles on the sea side of the house erode quickly ( we need to change these) and the windows get filthy. We have various plants that do not thrive ( so plant different ones), our cars get a bit dirtier I think but we have stopped parking near the sea.. but we like living here!

Access to services is a Biggie, so if you couldn't drive can you still go to a corner shop, pharmacy, dentist, chiropodist, hairdresser etc. Restaurants, takeaways and shops can be massively seasonal depending on the area and the reliance on tourism.

Services like broadband, mobile reception can be patchy.

Does the area have a flood defense scheme? Coastal erosion can be a Biggie.

People forget that the coastline cuts off half your options - so I'd make sure that any house wasn't between two pubs or any kind of travel ratrun.

Lots to think about. It would of course be very different in the winter when there aren’t many visitors, but there are shops, health services, a library etc. Good train services, although not sure about buses, and WiFi and mobile reception has been generally ok while we’ve been there.
Never thought about the effect of the salt on the car, so thank you for mentioning that on the other thread I accidentally started.
As for coastal erosion, a lot of money has been spent on “sea calming” (the technical term has gone out of my head!). I don’t think erosion is a problem there but a few miles away there is a lowlying coastal village and I’ve heard that one day that will just be abandoned to the sea.

If you needed dialysis where is the nearest outpatient unit. If you develop renal failure in old age there's a good chance a transplant won't be an option so you're looking at most of the day being taken up three time's a week. With a long journey it's awful. Nobody should ever buy a retirement home without thinking about it.

That’s a good point, Panda. It would be Aberystwyth which is just under an hour by car.

Hospital access is huge. We are equidistant from 3 hospitals but each over an hour away. Ambulance takes a long time to get to us ( I have a sick DD often in need). We have excellent local community health services but when you need hospital it's a pita

I used to live right on the seafront on a pebbly beach and you had to close your shutters in winter because at high tides with winter storms, the stones get thrown very violently through your windows otherwise.

If they're all holiday lets, is it going to be miserable and lonely out of season?

In that town, everything was shut in winter. It was awful.

I would recommend planning a visit in the winter (try and find the coldest stormiest forecast) and take it from there. You need to experience first hand the sound/feeling of the wind and rain hammering on the house, with the ocean on your doorstep to see if its something you can cope with.

Personally i would never live right on the seafront as have personal experience of storm and high tide situation causing extreme damage and loss of life to occupants of a seafront property but aware that my opinion is probably very skewed because of this experience.

Ouch, an hour would be hard going. Ok if you don't plan to live there forever but not ideal for retirement imo.

Going in the winter is a good call.
I think I’d have to make a determined effort to make friends to avoid loneliness although I’m fairly self sufficient and haven’t missed seeing friends during lockdown. Chatting on the phone has been enough for me. My two closest friends live hundreds of miles away anyway.
I am conscious though that I’d be leaving my sisters and their families here, although we’re not that close, and I really don't know what my daughters would decide to do although I suspect that if they would choose to stay in the Midlands and visit regularly.
Lots to think about.