There has been a rush to buy the first brand new beach huts to be offered for sale in Felixstowe, despite an £18,000 price tag.
These huts, which come with sea views, can be used daily most of the year, for families to gather to use the beach and swim in the sea.
But overnight stays are not allowed.
Although £18,000 sounds a lot for a small wooden building, they can cost a great deal more in some resorts.
In Southwold, up the Suffolk coast, they have been known to change hands for six figures.
Richard Brown, of Flick & Son, said: “They remain very popular. They can range from £50,000 to £150,000.”
You can buy a terraced house in many Suffolk towns at that price, of course.
For many owners a beach hut is a real home-from-home, decorated and equipped ready to open up whenever the sun shines.
Our family had one at the south end when our own children were young, or we visited friends at their huts closer to the Spa or further along the promenade in later years.
There are hours of fun for children of all ages on the beach.
The local council, now East Suffolk Council, has hundreds of privately-owned beach huts on its sites across the seaside town, all paying a licence fee each year.
Three more have arrived at The Dip, in North Felixstowe, where there is space for a total of 17.
On Friday estate agent Steve Scott, of Scott Beckett put the first three at The Dip, on the market.
“They are very popular,” he said. “One sold on Friday, another on Saturday and the third one has been reserved
“We expect them to go quickly as each phase is released.”
Felixstowe was growing in popularity, he said, with rising house prices. These are £18,000 with a £621 transfer fee.
“I was born and bred here,” he said, “and there is a lot of positivity in the town. There has been big investment in the seafront gardens, and the Pier and people are pleased to see the Spa Pavilion open again. People seem to have discovered Felixstowe.
“It has been many years since there have been new beach huts on sale.”
These beach huts are first new ones to be offered for more than 30 years in the town. There is a steady re-sale trade with prices ranging from £16,000 to £7,500 depending on the location and condition of the hut.
The district council, which has 900 beach hut sites in Felixstowe, is looking across the wider coastal area for new potential sites.
There are already a handful of huts at Sizewell beach.
There will eventually be 17 huts on this site at The Dip.
“East Suffolk Council is committed to making beach huts more accessible to a wider range of people. These new huts at the Dip are accessible and represent a fantastic opportunity for people to enjoy the unique beach hut experience in Felixstowe,” said Kerry Blair, East Suffolk Council’s head of operations.
The total of 17 huts will include one allocated for use by the windsurfing club members, and another hut that has been displaced by work near the Spa.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here