I've name-changed as some friends in real life know my usual username. I do welcome all views on this because I feel I have lost perspective on it slightly and am feeling really hurt and upset, far more than I thought I would.
A few months ago my grandmother told me that she wanted to sell her holiday cottage as she rarely uses it now and give the proceeds of the sale to me and my cousin (we are both only children, no other grandchildren for her to consider, she did not want to share the money between our parents as they will be receiving the bulk of her estate when she dies). The cottage is in a very nice part of the country popular with tourists and worth about £400k. I told her that the money is hers and she should spend it on herself, she insisted that she has enough money (I believe she is quite comfortably off) and she wanted to gift it to me and my cousin with the expectation that she will survive another seven years and we won't have to pay IHT,
I didn't hear anything more about the plan for several months and thought that she might have changed her mind but, again, in February, she brought it up and said that she might sell it but it might be easier to transfer it to me and my cousin, would I be interested in taking it on? I said that it was very generous but, as it is a long way from where I live and I don't want the responsibility of running it as a holiday let, it would be better if she sold it, imo. She asked the same question to my cousin who was also visiting her - I don't see my cousin that often - and she said that she'd like to take it on. Fair enough.
I assumed that my cousin would be buying me out but I have since found out that the entire cottage has been transferred to my cousin and no mention has been made of her buying "my" share. I accept that this is partially my fault as I should have clarified what would happen if one of us wanted to take over the cottage and the other didn't but I can't help feeling hurt that I have been completely written out of this. (I also accept that this is my grandmother's property and she is free to do as she pleases with it but that doesn't diminish the feeling of disappointment.)
In case this is relevant, both my cousin and I are settled with our own homes and children. I am an average earner, my cousin has qualified in a very niche sector and is a high earner. I love my grandmother and don't want to fall out about this gift but it is eating away at me that she has shown such favouritism. Opinions please on how I can broach this with my grandmother without sounding accusatory and/or grasping or whether I should just shut up and put up?