TLDR: front of the house when built by the sea is it road or beach side?

We were visiting a family member who's house had a street on 1 side and the sea on the other side. Someone said the front of the house is obviously the water side and from there there was a lot of disagreement/ agreement.

Personally I said you drive into the front of the house and come in the front door and the letterbox is at the front. Others said no you come in the back of the house because the sea is where the view is so that's the front. There was also a significantly higher proportion of woman thought the front was the sea side so maybe men & woman think differently on this.