House prices in parts of Sussex have rocketed by more than 250 per cent in the past decade as buyers pay extra to live by the sea, new figures reveal today.

Brighton and Hastings both appear in the top ten seaside towns with the largest house price increases from 1995 to 2005.

Prices in just under half of seaside towns in England and Wales have at least trebled in the past ten years, research from Halifax Estate Agents shows. The average house price growth across the UK is 186 per cent.

In 1995, the average home in Brighton cost £53,570 compared to £205,712 today, a rise of 284 per cent.

In Hastings buyers would expect to pay £44,902 for an average home in 1995 but today face prices of about £159,816, an increase of 256 per cent.

The figures mark a significant about-turn in the fortunes of Hastings, once noted more for its high crime, high teenage pregnancy rate and a top 50 UK deprivation ranking.

However, since multi-million-pound regeneration plans have started to take shape, including a new university, demand to move to the 1066 resort has risen sharply.

Experts believe the figures reveal how willing people are to pay more for properties by the sea. Halifax Estate Agents say homes in two thirds of coastal locations have increased by more than the national average.

Falmouth in Cornwall has seen the biggest price gain in the past decade, with property soaring by 312 per cent. It is followed by Penzance at 300 per cent and Brancaster in Norfolk by 287 per cent.

High asking prices are being commanded by even modest coastal properties.

A seaview flat in Eastbourne is currently on the market for £184,950 while a two-bedroom flat in Bexhill has an asking price of £134,950.

Outside of Sussex, a humble beach hut is currently on the market at Mudeford Sandbank in Dorset for £140,000.

Glenn Mishon, of estate agent Mishon Mackay in Brighton, said: "I'm sure it's right that people are willing to pay more to live by the sea.

"Certainly in the past ten years we have seen a considerable number of people from London move down to Brighton.

"And that's because there are such good transport links to the capital, there is value for money here and there is a fantastic way of life.

"Also, with the sea on one side and the South Downs on the other, Brighton really is an attractive place to live for many people and I'm not surprised at these figures.

"In Hastings also, there has been a meteoric rise in house prices there as people look for a place on the coast."

Colin Kemp, managing director of Halifax Estate Agents, said: "Comparing property prices in seaside towns over the last decade with the past 12 months reveals an interesting picture.

"Over the ten-year period, coastal properties in the South have been the strongest performing in terms of house price rises.

"But in the last year it has been locations in the North that have witnessed the biggest increases.

"What is clear from the research is that homebuyers are still prepared to pay more in order to enjoy living by the sea."

Sandbanks in Dorset is the most expensive seaside town to live in in England and Wales.

The average home there is selling for £531,280, more than £200,000 above the average cost of property in the next most expensive place, Lymington in Hampshire, where property averages £318,831.

Unsurprisingly, 18 of the 20 most expensive seaside towns are in the South.

The most affordable coastal towns are in northern regions, with Hartlepool in the North- East the cheapest place to buy a property at an average of £77,557, followed by Blyth in Northumberland and Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, both at just over £88,000.