Post by Andrea Brad

Everyone chasing West Sussex coastal property is looking at Brighton, Worthing, Shoreham. Almost nobody is looking 19 miles west of Brighton, at Littlehampton. That might be a mistake. 📍 Here's what the data actually shows (June 2026): It's the cheapest entry point on the coast → Average price: £334,706 (asking) vs Worthing's £382,785 and Brighton's £495,000 → Flats from £177k–£236k — lower than anywhere else in this corridor One postcode is wildly outperforming → BN17 5 (harbor , seafront, town centre): +30.4% price growth in the past year → That beats every standout sector in Worthing (+8.2%) and Shoreham (+8.1%) → The timing isn't random — it coincides with the £7.2m seafront regeneration scheme reaching completion through 2025 The yields back it up → Standard BTL: 5.0–6.0% gross → Compliant HMO: 7.0–9.0%+ — the strongest in the entire West Sussex series → Family BTL: steady demand from a town that's been a family seaside resort since the 1920s ⚠️ But here's the catch — and it's a real one: Littlehampton's River Ward (covering BN17 5, the best-performing postcode) now has: • An Article 4 Direction since 2023 — no more permitted development for HMO conversions, full planning required • Additional HMO Licensing since Feb 2025 — even 3–4 occupant HMOs need a license • At least one unlicensed landlord already prosecuted • National penalties now up to £40,000 + 24-month Rent Repayment Orders This is the most tightly regulated HMO market I've covered in this whole series. The yields are real. So is the compliance burden. My takeaway: confirm the ward boundary, budget for planning permission, license before you let a single room — and the numbers still work in your favor . Littlehampton won't suit every strategy. Longer commute to London than Worthing. Modest nightlife. But for affordability, family demand, and a regeneration story that's already showing up in the price data rather than waiting to be priced in — it's worth a serious look. Anyone else watching this corner of the coast? #PropertyInvestment #Littlehampton #WestSussex #SouthCoast #BuyToLet #HMO #PropertyInvestor #UKProperty #RealEstateInvesting #CoastalProperty