The short answer to that question is “It’s absolutely bonkers amazing to live in a home where you wake up every day and see the sea”. Not only can I SEE the sea from my Victorian villa on White Rock Gardens in Hastings but I can HEAR the sea. There’s no traffic noise to speak of on our road and I can lie in bed or be in the living room and hear the waves breaking around 150m away. Plus, I have the security of knowing that there’s a great big cliff between our home and the sea so flooding or coastal erosion aren’t issues that we need to worry about here.
White Rock Gardens | For Sale | £1,250,000
The owners of The Edge on Toot Rock a few miles along the coast from Hastings in Pett Level are further away from the sea but have an absolutely remarkable panoramic view of the coastline and also of the countryside which is in a protected area looked after by the wonderful Pett Level Preservation Trust. “The sea is always fascinating and always changing” comments the owner of The Edge. “Living with that outlook really does change your view on life. The sea seems to have a calming effect, and you need little more than that view to make you feel better about the world”.
Toot Rock | For Sale | £1,200,000
Even on a winter’s day when the wind is whipping up and you can see a storm heading towards the Sussex coast from France, it is totally bewitching to just stand and watch the clouds and the storm roll in towards you. Lightning storms are incredible – being in my living room on White Rock Gardens feels like being in a JMW Turner painting as the whole sky can be illuminated with flashes of lightning which are then duplicated in the reflection in the sea. Don’t expect to sleep through that experience – it’s too good to miss.
When I lived in London I didn’t imagine that the Tide Table would ever be of such interest to me but now it’s something I often check in the evening so that I know when to time my dog walk on the beach the next day. And I can of course just look out of the window and see whether it’s low tide and if a great big beach is spread out in front of me, the dog and I head on down there. As if that situation weren’t perfect enough already, there’s now a choice of outstanding cafes right on the beach where you can get a really good coffee or something to eat while you’re out there doing your beachy walk.
At Toot Rock the outstanding coffee comes from your own kitchen and can be enjoyed from the comfort of your cosy living room – but still with that sea outlook. I’ve spotted a pair of binoculars just to hand in the house because Toot Rock is a phenomenal place from which to watch for birds – a surprisingly engaging habit to develop. Whether it’s the delight in seeing a returning bird coming back for the warmer months in Sussex after a winter in Africa or a murmuration of starlings over the countryside, having birds as a part of your personal landscape is an all-encompassing pleasure.
Of course, if you stood out in the wind, rain, sun and sea spray all year round, your personal presentation might get a little worn around the edges and so it is with homes close to the sea. They do need to be attended to every 6 or 7 years with the best exterior paint that you can find, and elderly sash windows may develop rattles and shakes if you fail to keep them in good condition. The pay back for such investments into the care of your own home are more than recompensed by the day-to-day joy of a life lived close to the sea.
Madelaine Cooper is the Sussex partner at Unique.
Whether it’s a move to or from the coast, Madelaine would be a great fit with advice on your next steps.
Contact Madelaine by email madelaine.cooper@
