A wooden chalet bungalow on the beach at Burton Bradstock carried a guide price of half a million pounds – just 12 years after it sold at auction for £46k.
Today, it stands as a vivid reminder of the soaring coastal property market of the mid‑2000s.
It sparked some strong reaction among west Dorset locals at the time. Here’s how the story unfolded.
A wooden chalet bungalow on the beach at Burton Bradstock went up for sale in the spring of 2006 with a guide price of £500,000 – an astonishing figure considering it had sold for just £46,000 at auction 12 years earlier.
The wooden beach chalet which had a guide price of £500,000 12 years after being sold at auction for £46k (Image: NQ)
The two‑bedroom property, once part of the Pitt-Rivers estate, entered private ownership in 1953 when the family sold their holdings in the village.
It was purchased by the Hunt family — well known for their frozen‑food business — who used it both as a holiday home and as accommodation for their employees.
After Michael Hunt’s death, the chalet was auctioned, eventually selling for around £46,000 to its current owners.
Martin Bowen-Ashwin, associate director at Humberts estate agents, said at the time: “There are going to be a lot of people talking about it. We’re quoting a guide price of £500,000 and are looking forward to seeing how the market reacts. It’s a holiday home for our clients and is let throughout the year, producing a fantastic income.”
He added that the chalet’s position made it particularly unusual: it was a rare freehold property directly on the beach, with no restrictions on permanent residency. Despite its exposed location, he noted: “It has stood up well to the weather.”
The lucky buyer would also find themselves with notable neighbours, including singer‑songwriter Billy Bragg, who then lived in the area.
Rear Admiral Gwyn Pritchard, Burton Bradstock’s district councillor, reflected on the property’s history: “It’s been in private ownership since 1953 when the Pitt-Rivers sold up — they owned the whole village.
“All prices of houses are stupid. People are asking enormous prices and while they keep getting them, they’ll continue to ask it.
“But I’m still amazed by the amounts people are asking for their houses.”
The chalet’s next‑door neighbour reacted with shock when he heard the valuation.
He told the News: “I feel sick. Wow, that’s an amazing price — but then how many bits of freehold do you get here? It wouldn’t surprise me if someone bought it. They’ll get lovely views of the sea.”