When soil or land particles are carried away from one place to another either by natural or man-made occurrences, there would be significant changes in the soil structure. Erosion is a natural occurrence in the crust that happens every day, or every time a hydraulic or Aeolian action happens. Depending on the volume of soil being transported at a given time, erosion could be considered natural or harmful.

Erosion in the coasts is constantly occurring because of the soil quality it usually has. Loose sands accompanied by water and wind action all have great contribution to erosion in coastal areas. Since only a few plant species survive in coastal vegetation, there is not enough roots to get hold of the soil. But is wind and water action the only reason for rapid coastal erosion?

Man-made Beach Erosion

It could be bad news for beach buddies who are environmentalists at the same time to know that majority of coastal erosion is caused by developing coastal areas to resorts and beaches.

Buildings built on coastal areas are promising assets that could get you enough profit. With the number of people who wants to unwind in resorts and have beach parties, any beach resort with a good quality sea side view will definitely become a hit.

The problem is, a lot of developers literally take a large portion of coastal sands and transport them to other spots of the resort. This will cause the upper portion of the coastal areas such as High Cliff to lose hold in their soil. The Barton Court Landslide at Barton-on-Sea in 1975 may be the most distinct. Recently, Barton-on-Sea’s cliff top has eroded, leaving a large portion of the cliff completely gone. Experts say that in 10-15 years time, all buildings found in Barton-on-Sea will vanish due to landslide and massive erosion. Buying properties in these types of areas should follow strict guidelines and checking.

Guide in Buying Properties in Coastal Areas

Since erosion is rampant in coastal areas, buying real estate properties in the place should not only be about how the sunset is seen from your prospective property, but with the overall safety of the place. The following are guidelines for you to follow when considering a coastal property.

1. Check if the place has a landslide history. Not all coastal areas have landslide history, but checking if your chosen property is safe enough for your family should be part of the process.

2. Identify the “risk area” that the District Local Plan points out. Never buy a property located in a “high risk” zone because no matter how strong the foundation is for the house, your investment will literally shrink if the ground where it stands is problematic.

3. As much as possible, avoid top cliff coastal areas. They are susceptible to landslides and have poor soil structure. There are a lot of low-land coastal properties and development sites which could be of interest to you.

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