One major attraction of living in the Hamptons is being close to water. Whether it’s one if the area’s incredible beaches, scenic ponds, or even just a nice swimming pool, having water nearby puts the “vacation” in “vacation house.” Hamptons home shoppers regularly place water features among their search criteria on Out East. But how much more does it actually cost to get a Hamptons oceanfront home — or one facing a pond, or one with a pool — over a house with no water features?
We took a look at the median asking prices of Hamptons homes with and without water amenities, and found that the differences can be significant. If you want to purchase a home with water nearby, get ready to pay up.
| All Homes | Homes w/ No Water | Homes w/ Pool | Waterfront Homes | Oceanfront Homes | Waterfront w/ Pool | Oceanfront w/ Pool | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median Price | $2.195M | $995K | $2.699M | $3.25M | $6.375M | $4.55M | $5.947M |
| Price Premium | - 55% | 23% | 48% | 190% | 107% | 171% | |
| Share of Inventory | 18% | 70% | 20% | 4% | 12% | 3.5% |
A Swimming Pool Soaks Up 23% More
If life out east without a pool is not an option, get ready to spend roughly $2.7 million — or about $500K more than the Hamptons and North Fork median home price of $2.2 million.
In the South Fork alone, you’re looking at a median of $2.75 million for a house with a pool. If that seems steep, perhaps consider the North Fork, where the median price of a home with a pool is $1.3 million. That’s still 42 percent higher than a North Fork home without a pool, but, of course, much cheaper than landing a private swimming area in the Hamptons proper.
The good news for lovers of pools is that a majority of homes for sale out east have one. In fact, 70 percent of homes on the market in the second quarter of 2018 had a pool, with East Hampton, Southampton, Sag Harbor and Bridgehampton having the largest share of homes with pools. These average prices also don’t preclude the possibility that you could find a relative deal, like this 5-bedroom traditional home in East Hampton with a hot tub and 20-by-45-foot pool that’s asking $1.94 million.
Homes on a Bay or Pond Bring a 48% Premium
If living on the bay, the sound, or ocean is essential, expect to see homes around a median price of $3.25 million — a full $1.05 million above the median price for all home types.
Fans of the North Fork can snag homes on a bay or Long Island Sound at relatively lower price points. The median price of a waterfront home on the North Fork is $1.7 million, compared to $3.5 million on the South Fork. This charming 4-bedroom home in Mattituck is asking $1.7 million, and will have you enjoying sunsets right on the water. Just across the bay in Sag Harbor, a lovely 4-bedroom with a dock is asking $3.65 million.
One in five homes available on Out East in the second quarter was on some body of water. There are far fewer of these than homes with a pool, but many more than there are homes directly on the ocean.
770 Old Salt Road
A 4-bedroom, Cape Cod-style waterfront home with a huge sunroom that looks out onto Great Peconic Bay.
A 4-bedroom, Cape Cod-style waterfront home with a huge sunroom that looks out onto Great Peconic Bay.
How Much More to Live on the Ocean? About 190%
If an oceanfront home is what you desire, expect to see properties around a median price of $6.4 million — $4 million, or 190 percent, more than the median cost of a Hamptons home. For buyers open to owning a unit on the ocean in a condo building, though, many options are available at lower prices, especially in towns such as Amagansett, East Quogue and Westhampton, where the median price of an oceanfront property is $1.1 million or less.
Whatever their size, homes on the ocean are difficult to come by: just 4 percent of all for-sale homes in the Hamptons are directly on the ocean. Oceanfront homes with a pool are even more rare, at 3.5 percent of all for-sale inventory.
Looking to really dream? Check out the most expensive oceanfront home on the market right now: a $150 million estate on Meadow Lane in Southampton with more than 700 feet of direct beach access.
1080 Meadow Ln
This 14-acre property enjoys more than 700 feet of frontage along the Atlantic Ocean, and sits on beloved Meadow Lane in Southampton. The main house spans 12,000 square feet.
This 14-acre property enjoys more than 700 feet of frontage along the Atlantic Ocean, and sits on beloved Meadow Lane in Southampton. The main house spans 12,000 square feet.
No Water Needed? You’ll Save $1M
If you can live without any water amenities, you stand to save a lot of money. The median asking price for Hamptons homes with no surrounding water (not even a pool) is $995K. But keep in mind that only 18 percent of homes on the market in the second quarter were listed without any water amenities.
How We Did It
We looked at the asking prices of thousands of homes for sale and for rent on the market during the second quarter of 2018 to determine the median asking price for all homes, homes with no water amenities, waterfront homes, oceanfront homes, waterfront homes with a pool, and oceanfront homes with a pool. Waterfront homes include any property on an open body of water, such as the ocean, a bay, a sound, or a river. The median prices included are the exact middle asking price among all asking prices of available listed homes during the second quarter of 2018 in the Hamptons and North Fork.
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