To detest people that think they own beautiful parts of the world?

OP sounds NOTHING like them. Jesus

True. My family haven’t forgotten. There are many other places in the world which weren’t so nasty during Covid and I’ll spend my money in those places.

I know. The one about the school closing down made me cry when I first read it! And the man losing his home because the landlord is turning it into an air b&b. I hate them, never used them. I always stay in hotels or proper b&bs when I go away.

People buy second homes all over the place though. How many properties in South of France or Spain are owned by British who might only go there for a few months a year? How many properties in Knightsbridge are owned by Saudi, Qatari or UAE billionaires who just drop in when on business? I understand the issues related to properties left empty for most of the year, but I'm not sure how you can stop people buying properties on the basis of where they happened to be born, nor can you really limit people to one home (realistically) if they can afford to buy other properties. I di take your point though @Jabtastic.

Those suggesting limits on numbers of second homes and holiday lets, I am a firm believer that bans or restrictions can sometimes cause more problems than it solves.

Lets say a strict number of second homes is implemented - suddenly one of those homes is sold, would that not push up the price even more as it becomes an even more required property?

If the restriction is it can only be sold as a "locals" home then the current owners are unlikely to sell it as it will have to be sold at a value lower than market value.

The same with restricting holiday lets, all it will do is push the rental prices up.

To those who say visitors should stay in hotel or lodges, that will require more to be built. Would I prefer an old stone cottage to be renovated and used as a holiday let instead of a new hotel being built - I know which I would prefer.

People can't have it both ways really.

If it should be impossible or difficult for people to move to beautiful areas like Cornwall and the Lake District, then perhaps the converse should also be true - young people in these areas should be required to stay there and support their communities rather than having the chance to move to places with greater economic opportunities such as London or other big cities. Then hopefully property prices in cities would fall, and maybe the "Londoners", for example, would be able to afford property there and stop moving out to less populated areas.

The reality is that greater economic and geographical independence comes at a cost, which is the dislocation of local communities and family networks to a certain extent.

In London a lot of incomers move for work. They live in the city so they contribute to the local economy. Where overseas investors buy up housing stock to 'hold' they should be penalised financially. It is immoral to have empty properties when people are homeless.

Where I am some houses lie empty for 48+ weeks a year. It's indefensible. It fractures communities. Our families can't afford to live nearby but neither can careworkers. At least if vulnerable people die off someone can snap up their houses to build a holiday home!

People are so short-sighted. It reminds me of the rich Californians complaining they can't get a pool boy because no one on low wages can afford to live there. More than that, so many people are miserable. Mental health is so poor in millions of people. Community isn't valued anymore in many areas. Families are seperated. People are isolated. But fuck that, as long as people can have their holiday house by the sea / mountains, even if it lies empty all year.

@alpenguin

Where the fun in living in or moving to a e.g highland village and everyone there is from the south east of England? I wonder how many of those complaining about people wanting to make it more difficult to move to these “beautiful” places or touristy places also complain about non Brits not assimilating directly into British life and culture because there is a direct comparison. (And for the inevitable well we’re all British response, each region and even each village has its own culture that is slowly being eroded by goodlifers from the south east

Better tell that to our royal family then about their little hideaway called Balmoral!

Bloody migrants coming here and taking our jobs and houses ……oh wait that’s on the royal family too

Jabtastic -

What do you think happens in other parts of the U.K. though? Why are you different? Look at London - people move here from all corners of the globe. So what? Not one if my neighbours was born around here - we are all 'incomers' if you like. That's totally normal! Places change - nowhere is static. And places that are static will get left behind. Gone are the days when you can expect your children or grandchildren to stay in a village. That's just not realistic. To do what? Mine went to uni at 18 - who knows if they'll want to settle around here? Probably not, it's not really a 'young person place.' I could quite imagine them going overseas in the near future, They have to seize whatever opportunities present. People move. Places change. Always have and always will.

@zileri There are pensioners where I live in London, who are sitting in properties they bought in the 1970s for maybe a hundred thousand, and now the houses are worth about £5 million. All that money, just because of where they happened to live. It's true that their children will find it harder to buy in the area, but overall nobody is complaining when your home, your biggest asset, increases in value. At least people who have accrued wealth by postcode have the option of helping children out in the future.

its cockeyed thinking like this whereby people are happy to see their kids struggle with rents but want to pass their housing wealth on that hamstrings Britain completely.

Houses are for living in, not primarily ‘generational wealth’ sources. How is that even a serious phrase? I keep seeing it everywhere. It’s this decade’s buzzword. ‘Accrued wealth by postcode’ should be taxed at 90%.

That only applies if you are on the property ladder to begin with. Many people aren't, and have no hope of getting so with house prices and rents rocketing.

Never mind places like Cornwall, British people have been buying holiday homes in Spain etc for decades. Look at what that has done to large areas of the Spanish coastline. And they don't even learn the language, most if the time.

I'm disabled and my house will likely be needed to fund my care home as I get older. I'd really like to have children/ grandchildren living near me as I get older funnily enough. My home is my home and my community is my community, not some sort of golden goose to be slaughtered. It's an interesting insight into how some people look at us from the outside. A resource to be exploited, not a community of people making our lives here.

I have no problem whatsoever with limits and controls but there are people on here saying they shouldn't be allowed at all

Surely though, if the demand has pushed the value of your house up too, then that's a benefit? More security for your old age, @Jabtastic. potentially more inheritance to pass in to your children eventually. Would you rather the house prices on your area flatlined?

There are pensioners where I live in London, who are sitting in properties they bought in the 1970s for maybe a hundred thousand, and now the houses are worth about £5 million. All that money, just because of where they happened to live. It's true that their children will find it harder to buy in the area, but overall nobody is complaining when your home, your biggest asset, increases in value. At least people who have accrued wealth by postcode have the option of helping children out in the future.

Yes and there should be limited numbers of holiday lets available with strict controls in place. In too many areas it's like the wild west. People from outside our area see us as a resource to be exploited, not a community of people trying to make lives here.

My argument is more concerned with holiday lets rather than second homes left empty. Holiday let owners do bring money to the area. They're two different things

Do the second home owners NEED that house?

The clue is in the name. They already have one so no they don't. Instead they could support the local community by staying in a hotel, rather than acting like locusts hoovering up whatever they want.

Do they need that house or do they need a house?
I bought a house where I could afford. I'd like a home opposite the beach. I'd like a penthouse in London. But they're out of my price range

They’re always chasing profit and they don’t give a shit what market it is or whether they ruin it as long as they’re in first and out having made £££.

In Wales it’s complicated by the Welsh language and culture though.

Yes people are struggling for staff here too. The nearest affordable housing is in a town eight miles away and public transport is poor so staff have to drive but can't get parked.

Tourists bring money. They're a pain at certain times but people accept they benefit the local economy somewhat. Managed tourism is really important- hotels and BBs especially, a limited number of self-catering houses.

Second home owners bring very little but they buy up a lot of the limited housing stock. There's a small coastal village near me that is absolutely dead now for most of the year. It actually makes me sad driving through it in the winter. Airbnbs seem to attract people who don't know how to behave decently. Huge groups crammed in with no supervision, multiple cars, big parties.

I'm glad your area is doing OK with community. Here it's tougher because as retirees pass away their houses are snapped up for holiday homes by people on city salaries. Local people just can't compete on lower, hospitality industry wages. Our cafés, shops and restaurants are struggling to get staff because 18-35s can't afford to buy or rent (and there are virtually no longterm rentals). So ironically the tourist industry is suffering because of staffing issues. So is the local hospital.

It's happening in St Ives. Friends closed their pub because they could not get staff. Apparently the Porthminster Beach Cafe is really struggling too, but I'm told they turned their staff accommodation block into holiday lets, so..🤷‍♀️ Elsewhere, seasonal workers are living in vans or even tents for the summer.

Weird. I've lived in Cornwall for (counts on fingers) 22 years, and I've had someone saying she doesn't like me because I wasn't born here a grand total of.....once. Those of us born in the village, born in other parts of Cornwall, born over the Tamar, and even born (sharp intake of breath) abroad all rub along pretty well.

But then we don't tend to come out with insulting shite about us being ungrateful because we depend on the tourist trade etc. Only 17% of the Cornish economy stems from tourism, and it tends to come with more than its fair share of problems.

So I wonder, if you're getting a hostile reception from the locals, might it be down to your attitude? 🤔