Hut sells for ¼ £million

A wood beach hut has been bought for £216,000 — by someone who hasn’t even seen it.

The 20ft by 25ft hut fetched almost £100,000 more than expected at auction, a record for that type of property.

Nine people bid fiercely for the 73-year-old building, in a prime location at West Bexington on the Dorset coast.

The hut has two bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge and bathroom plus panoramic views of the Channel.

Its new owner — a businessman in his 40s who wanted to remain anonymous — had been at the auction to buy another place before hearing how beautiful it was. He admitted: “I’ve paid too much for it.”

Estate agent Mark Lewis said: “The reason it has such a high price is simply the location.”

The selling price is £36,000 more than the average house price in Britain.