Two luxury homes squeezed onto a plot meant for one have gone up for sale for 13 million pounds - three times the value of the former property.

The identical futuristic properties share the 3,000 square metre space that is situated in a prime position on the millionaire's enclave of Sandbanks in Poole Harbour, Dorset.

A three bedroom house occupied the site until it was bought for 4.25 million pounds and then promptly demolished.

A development company decided to eke out every square inch of the plot by splitting it in two and building a pair of four storey beachfront houses.

The five bed homes have now gone on the market for 6.5 million pounds each.

They each boast en-suite bedrooms, indoor swimming pools, balconies, lifts to all floors, direct beach access and magnificent sea views.

They are being sold either individually or as a pair should a wealthy buyer wish to live in one and rent out the other or if a couple wanted 'his and her' homes.

It is thought the developers have spent more than three million pounds building the two homes.

The trend of building new luxury house on plots meant for one is a growing one on Sandbanks, the fifth most expensive place in the world to buy property.

Earlier this year, another developer completed two 16ft wide detached houses 10 inches apart on a 1,393 square metre site.

And although a planning official described the latest developments as being on 'relatively narrow' plots, they were still given the go-ahead.

Tom Doyle, of estate agents Lloyds Property Group which is selling both properties, said: "Development opportunities are becoming scarcer on Sandbanks and so prices for older houses are going up.

"Developers need to maximise the space available in order to make money. It is becoming harder to financially justify building one home on a plot and so we are now seeing two homes appear.

"Although a lot of the plots are quite deep you can't spread out or go beyond the existing building line so you have build upwards as much as the planning authorities will allow.

"Both these properties are built over four levels, with the bedrooms on the upper two floors.

"They are very much high end in terms of their quality. I can see these appealing to middle-age professionals who want them as a second home."

The two properties are situated in the south east corner of the Sandbanks peninsula and are very close to the home of Premier League football manager Harry Redknapp.

Over the last two decades Sandbanks has become a millionaire's playground with dozens of luxury beachfront mansions spring up.

Last year, one property on Sandbanks sold for the equivalent of 1,725 pounds per square foot, which is a record for the area.