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Second home owners... what are you doing about your property?

275 replies

DareIask · 16/01/2021 17:03

We haven't visited since September due to restrictions.

Becoming a little concerned as we've never left a property over winter and not sure what we'll go back to. There's no heating on, and although pipes freezing is unlikely I just worry about damp etc

Any experience anyone?

I know this is a privileged problem to have and I have no intention of starting a debate on second homes. Just empty ones

Thanks

OP posts:
sproutsnbacon · 16/01/2021 19:42

I live in an area where there’s a high proportion of second homes and im not anti them. The second home owners tend to purchase the properties the local population don’t want to live in e.g the terrace cottages without parking and generally only 2 bedrooms with no garden. Families and retired people don’t want them. They want the slightly bigger houses or ex council houses or estates. If the second home owners didn’t buy the cottages many would be in a poor state of repair and unoccupied.
There are plenty available at reasonably prices

sproutsnbacon · 16/01/2021 19:44

And op ring your neighbours and ask them or ask if they know someone local and reliable who you can pay.

Tarararara · 16/01/2021 19:49

This is the official, goverment guidance:

".... maintaining second homes, caravans, boats and other assets is not generally a reasonable excuse for leaving home. However, people may leave home to secure their second home, caravan or boat in order to avoid it posing a risk of harm/injury to themselves or others".

Note this is only for second home owners, not furnished holiday let owners (who can travel to their business for maintenance since they "cannot reasonably work from home")

Taken from:

www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/the-visitor-economy?fbclid=IwAR3vjiw124L_jC53-tyAf-SItLjA6EJBXT82SGcpxgJ0ycMLQaw2WRnF8b8

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CountessFrog · 16/01/2021 20:01

Christ, the comments on this thread.

Doomsdayiscoming · 16/01/2021 20:07

Can only hope some dirty homeless people don’t freeze to death outside. Would be annoying to have to move their frigid corpses out of the way.

Keeping2ChevronsApart · 16/01/2021 20:29

@Doomsdayiscoming

Can only hope some dirty homeless people don’t freeze to death outside. Would be annoying to have to move their frigid corpses out of the way.
😂😂😂

Would a 'dirty homeless person' be in a position to afford the OPs flat? Homeless people are there by all manner of unfortunate circumstances, unlikely it's because they've been overpriced out of the market. Would you rather she moved a homeless person in to look after the place? I bet you wouldn't do the same if you had to leave your home for a long period of time

SpaceRaiders · 16/01/2021 20:33

Most businesses contribute to an area

If you’re eligible for BRR, you’re clearly operating a business. Confused

The whole second home owner debate is far too complex than many here would care to admit. This all started in the decade leading up to the crash of 2008. The banks poured billions into the property market leading to a boom. Even if let’s say, a law was brought it tomorrow to say second home owners, landlords and businesses who owned property must dispose of their assets. The average 20 or 30 something wouldn’t be able to afford those properties because house prices have continued to rise faster than wages. The other issue is a lack of local jobs, in my parent’s Cornish village, all the young leave for the cities as decent paying jobs just aren’t available so typical starter home type properties either remain empty for long periods or end up being bought by second home owners.

You may not agree with holiday rentals but they’ll remain, perhaps with some licensing restrictions brought in which I’d personally welcome. There needs to be limits of property rentals available in each particular area. However demand will continue to outstrip supply. And that will continue for years to come due to covid and people reassessing their future overseas holiday plans. Families, couples with dogs, groups of essential gas workers, nurses isolating from their families and families feeing DV etc (all of whom I’ve hosted over the last 10 months btw) would all rather stay stay in a house with privacy and cooking/washing facilities, rather than expensive hotel rooms.

I won’t mention the laundry company, cleaning company, property maintenance guys, the gas man, the electrician, the plumber, the window cleaner, the gardener, and the builder who turned a derelict un-mortgageable mess into a habitable property, all of whom have benefited from my business but as you say business like mine don’t contribute to the local economy. Hmm

AnyFucker · 16/01/2021 20:33

Anybody on this thread with a spare bedroom should be taking homeless people in. It's just unecessary waste and greediness, after all.

dressedupinyou · 16/01/2021 20:33

That's exactly what she should do. What a great idea.

DareIask · 16/01/2021 20:38

@AnyFucker

Anybody on this thread with a spare bedroom should be taking homeless people in. It's just unecessary waste and greediness, after all.
That's laughable.

You expect every single person who happens to live in a property with more than one bedroom to offer a room to someone?

Everyone's widowed grandma? Single mum with a baby?

OP posts:
Robbybobtail · 16/01/2021 20:41

Or maybe you could invite someone without one home, let alone two, to move it and keep an eye for you.

Grin haha yes, I’m sure that would turn out well - just inviting a random homeless person into your home!

OP, we have a cleaner going once a month to dust, de-bug and check everything ok. All fine so far.

AnyFucker · 16/01/2021 20:44

Err, op. Irony. Look at my posts upthread.

DareIask · 16/01/2021 20:47

@AnyFucker

Err, op. Irony. Look at my posts upthread.
Oh I'm so sorry!

Have just come back to the thread.

The sort of comment I expected from those choking on a mouthful of sour grapes, but clearly not from you.

So sorry.Thanks

OP posts:
Doomsdayiscoming · 16/01/2021 20:47

Don’t own a home because property prices in the area where I live have increased 400% in the last 15 years whilst the salary of a person doing my job has probably increased (at a guess) max 20-30%.

Perhaps when supply outstrips demand people can have as many houses as they see fit. Until then let’s de-asset-ify property and make it about what it should be: a roof over people’s head, not a way of lining people’s pockets.

LibrariesGiveUsPower45321 · 16/01/2021 20:49

Phone around local estate agents and handymen, I’m sure there will be someone glad of a couple extra pennies to check it over every week/fortnight.

DareIask · 16/01/2021 20:51

@LibrariesGiveUsPower45321

Phone around local estate agents and handymen, I’m sure there will be someone glad of a couple extra pennies to check it over every week/fortnight.

I will. Would be very happy to pay someone. Thanks

OP posts:
Robbybobtail · 16/01/2021 20:55

Also, those saying “oh, it’s all second home owners now - greedy bastards!” What about the greedy bastards (presumably locals) who sold the property to them? Why didn’t they sell cheaply to a nice, local couple of they were that bothered about keeping it a local town for local people?

And also the regularly thrown about “oh, it prices young people out of the market” well I don’t live in a popular second home area but my dc’s are STILL priced out of the market. Eldest has just bought his first home a considerable distance away as there’s no way he could afford to buy in our town where he grew up. He will live there a while, do work on it and hopefully sell for a profit and move on. As most people starting out do. It’s called disproportionate property inflation and is a problem in many places, to blame it on second home owners is very naive. To think you are entitled to be able to afford your first home in whatever town you grew up in is quite entitled.

SpaceRaiders · 16/01/2021 20:58

Until then let’s de-asset-ify property and make it about what it should be: a roof over people’s head, not a way of lining people’s pockets.

How would that work in practice? Who would be allowed to own more than one property? Would this apply to the crown estate too? Might as well go back to 1066 and rewrite history.

Iknowwhatudidlastsummer · 16/01/2021 20:58

@dressedupinyou

You might not want a debate about it but you can't control what people comment. Do you not feel shit that you have a property being left empty?

Maybe you should dispose of one of your homes, you don't need two.

Or maybe you could invite someone without one home, let alone two, to move it and keep an eye for you.

I love people who are so generous with other people's belongings Grin
DareIask · 16/01/2021 21:00

What would you have me do? Sell what my parents worked hard for all their married life for at a reduced price to someone local?

Or spend a small fortune on getting local tradesman to bring it up to date and spending a large proportion of my time and earnings in a place I happen to love.

The judgmental attitude of posters who don't have a clue of my circumstances amazes me

OP posts:
Iknowwhatudidlastsummer · 16/01/2021 21:02

OP, we do nothing. We have an alarm system so we know it hasn't been broken into. Some fairly local friends have a set of keys for emergencies.

We have empty the pipes and switch everything off when we closed the house, we left dehumidifiers everywhere (the crystal kind) and mouse traps.

It will just need to be aired thoroughly when we open it, and switch the water and everything back on.

Iknowwhatudidlastsummer · 16/01/2021 21:03

The judgmental attitude of posters who don't have a clue of my circumstances amazes me

I would ignore the bitterness coming from jealousy if I were you Grin

AnyFucker · 16/01/2021 21:03

No worries Daffodil

Lotusmonster · 16/01/2021 21:05

Everyone complaining about holiday homes or rentals on this thread must please vow never to go stay in one ever again... so no cottages, no villas etc. All go and stay in hotels instead please. Put your money where your mouths are if you feel this way.
I have a rental: we employ a gardener all year round, we employ cleaners and a bunch of agency staff. Normally we are booked for 40 weeks per annum and families spend about £200 per week on extras in the village. Please take it all to big chain hotels if that’s what you want.

Doomsdayiscoming · 16/01/2021 21:06

@SpaceRaiders

Until then let’s de-asset-ify property and make it about what it should be: a roof over people’s head, not a way of lining people’s pockets.

How would that work in practice? Who would be allowed to own more than one property? Would this apply to the crown estate too? Might as well go back to 1066 and rewrite history.

Obviously you couldn’t ban owning multiple properties. This is a capitalist state.

You could financially discourage it though. How about instead of the paltry 3% extra SDLT on second homes it was 10%. And 3rd home 20%, fourth 30%. The tax generated would be split between extending the SDLT holiday for FTBs, building social housing, and initiatives to help the homeless.

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