The boom of the UK holiday cottage!

[Tesseracted]

I recall wanting to find self catering holiday accommodation around 20 years ago, and it was fairly thin on the ground in comparison to today. Major hotspots such as Cornwall were probably already growing, but I am really curious how and when this took off as a HUGE THING.

Every place there's even the tiniest bit of scenery now has clusters of holiday cottages (often apartments or regular houses, but called 'cottages'). I noticed a further boom during the pandemic.
I have partaken of a few myself over the years and find that they are usually somewhat generic, ubiquitous; with the expectation that the 'woman' needs a bottle of prosecco on arrival or she might be offended .

90% of reviews for these cottages are taken up with people worrying about their cars.

What were we doing previously? We My own family) used to camp in national parks and have a break in Europe every now and again. I do not think, on the whole, that this is Joe Public trying to cut down his air miles. We could never outdo a private jet if we tried in terms of the carbon footprint, or even compete with one Taylor Swift tour globally, even if we went abroad 5 times a year.
So what is it?
I have noticed all social backgrounds here, it isn't at all specific to one cultural stereotype. Our weather is largely unpredictable and let's admit it, can create stress to some extent. Our roads are crammed and often tiny in picturesque places, and in more northern hotspots (the Lakes) it can rain furiously for 2 weeks solid.

I used to see mostly walkers and dog lovers in the Lakes. They're still there, but now joined and outnumbered by people who used to have more lively tastes - in other words it has vastly expanded it's target market. Those who might have previously preferred less sedate resorts with swimming pools and lots of stuff for kids to do.

And the prices of these things is growing, year on year. A very basic stone terrace with no garden and dated interiors can cost up to £1200 for a week out of season. I am really interested in hearing your thoughts on how this all took off, as it seems to have ballooned somewhat suddenly in recent yrs.

Oh and I also like good weather, not sunbathing. There's a huge difference!....calm and breezy is enough!
Also being able to plan a day out without dragging around waterproofs and umbrellas. Not to mention the depressing winds.
I prefer my UK hols for active stuff, so walking and exploring as opposed to relaxing.
No one ever looked relaxed in the Lake District

And then ceefax happened. That was another ritual of watching my dad scribble details from page 93 of 181 and missing a bit and waiting for it to come around again. Insanity

Oh god yes. My DDad still mourns its loss. He bought all his holidays on Teletext.

I blame the dog explosion for the cottage holiday phenomenon. That and AirBnB making it easier.

Yes, a car is not cheap but I feel we can bring more with us and don't have to buy all the groceries from scratch or wear the hiking boots on the train.

I also can't go anywhere unless I go via a London terminal and I don't want to change train, tube, train with a suitcase.

We also found that public transport is difficult in rural areas and therefore you are restricted where you can go. I wouldn't mind a train to a city, we took one to Bath for a couple of days or York.

I am a comfort creature and that means I pack the car and don't worry what I take and how I get to my location.

People seem more willing to pay ridiculous prices for UK holiday cottages and the like. Very over priced in my opinion.
I think social media is also fuelling it because most people seem unable to go away without inflicting every minute detail of where they are and what they are doing.
I much prefer resting in the peace and quiet of my own comfortable home.
Year after year on here chock a block with posts complaining about holidays away.

Ah, one of the reasons we like self catering cottages are because as a family we have two disabled members and the family car (Volvo xc90) takes both wheelchairs and suitcases plus outdoor swimming stuff, specialist disability equipment eyc,

I do use trains but if you use a wheelchair they can be very fraught.

@reluctantbrit

Let's not forget that running a car is also very expensive.

But once you have a car, the only cost is the cost of fuel and parking, compared with the cost of train fares. Many people have cars for other reasons, i.e. commuting etc., so you can't factor in the fixed costs when comparing one form of transport with another. It's the "marginal" cost that matters, i.e. the extra cost of using your car compared with the extra cost of using the train.

We never use the train for UK holidays, I've priced it sometimes, fares for a family of 4 would cost far more than the fuel for the car even with railcards (the other car costs aren't really affected by that mileage). Plus we would need multiple changes to get to any of the main tourist areas plus a taxi to the station. Then you are reliant on public transport when you get to the destination.

I do think a lot of it is people having extra holidays and short breaks, easier now to combine with WFH for for many too, I quite often see posts from people who are WFH from a holiday cottage and enjoying the change of scene, going out in the evenings etc.

They're not really ridiculous when you factor in the actual purchase cost and renovation costs, plus all the fixtures and fittings needed, plus ever increasing utilities, power, rates, waste disposal, plus breakages, plus cleaners costs, plus booking agent's fees (which can be anything from 12% to 25%), advertising/website costs, welcome packs, loo rolls, cleaning supplies, etc etc.

Several reasons for us - main one being the dog(s). DH travels a lot for work and it is the last thing he wants to do on when not working. Mosquitoes LOVE me. Just cba with all the hassle of travelling abroad.

We've got a high household income, no childcare/no mortgage but I often find the cost of holidays tips over into 'not worth it' and that includes UK holiday cottages. Just don't think they are really our thing (at the moment at least - when our elderly dog dies we may give it another go).

@GrandKarber And (I’m on one now) getting the train is also shit, and costs a fecking fortune. We used to get the train to holidays but now that would cost more than the bloody stay.

Tell me about it. I was trying to cost train travel through to Spain last week because we're trying not to fly short haul (or any haul right now, my bloody passport expired in september and i only just realised 🙄) and at the point it was already up to £1000 return for 2 people just to get to sodding Lyon in France, I gave it up as a bad job. Those rates make Avanti West Coast, or whichever greedy bastard runs it now, look reasonable.

Was a boom- now a bust!

I am looking to buy a cottage in the village I grew up in (not quite ready as got to sell another property)

Probably 50% 2nd homes and holiday lets (small place). September saw Rightmove flooded with property- less than 20% sold but all now gone to be let out for the Summer and off sale and will be back for sale I imagine in Sept. I know the owner of 1 (but too small for my needs) Apparently the market has dive bombed other than the peak summer months due to oversupply. This place has been a tourist haven since at least the 1970s. Worst situation for 20 years for booking.

I grew up in a London suburb in the 80s/90s and have always gone on holiday to UK holiday cottages or chalets. I didn't go abroad til I paid for it myself.

A few peers at school went to France, some visited family abroad , one person went to Disney (which was unusual) but not everyone was going abroad. I don't remember anyone going skiing (compared to now, I live in commuterville and half the town seems to disappear skiing at Feb half term)

Like @Octavia64 my parents got brochures and then chose the one of the cheapest option which was usually dirty and wouldn't pass any current H and S regulations. and didn't have a video recorder which was always a disappointment

I agree with pp, air bnb made it easier to let out your house for holidays

I went through a period 4.5 years ago (literally just pre Covid) where I travelled for work consistently for about 8 months to various countries. Visited about 30 countries and only in two did I not see obnoxious Brits; Kazakhstan and Norway.

I’ve found on ‘staycations’ that Brits tend to keep their manners more. No idea why. But it’s definitely a thing; Brits behave badly overseas! All my friends go to second homes in the UK or holiday lets - and not dealing with obnoxious Brits overseas/at airports is a key reason. They find it stressful. I do too tbh. Post-COVID I think a lot of people are get less willing to put up with other peoples bullshit and just went to enjoy their holidays - staycations are easier in that respect.

And of course if a holiday in the UK is shit, you can come home! Can’t do that as easily if you’re overseas…

I have really got into taking LESS with me. I used to cart half the house. I went away recently with only two changes of clothes and it was ample for that time as we had a washer in our cottage.
The weather was crap so no one would even notice with a winter coat, and even if I cared about that, so what??

There is something so liberating about not carting ten tons of shit around. Just letting it be, like when we were younger.

I am in a prime holiday area in a UK national park and can only say most people here are loud, angry and stressed. I can't see this well behaved thing abut UK locations at all.

I dont think it is about 'Brits' exactly, just the whole holiday culture. There are some lovely people too.

course, you can come home if it's shit, but let's not allow that few grand you spent to sting!

I recall wanting to find self catering holiday accommodation around 20 years ago, and it was fairly thin on the ground in comparison to today.

I don't recognise this at all.
We had all our holidays in the UK at that time.
Started with a caravan and moved to cottages as soon as we could afford it - probably from about 23 / 24 years ago.
Originally I'd send off for brochures but probably from the turn of the century we'd find places on-line.
Never found a lack of choice or a lack of availability (and we've always had to go in school holiday time).

@Tesseracted - see, I prefer to be able to just have fresh clothes for each day, I don't want to wash unless absolutely necessary. I don't want to buy food I already have open at home or make plans how to use them up before going away.

We normally put everything in a cool box and just use it up.

I am the same with flying, I am not a person handwashing underwear in the hotel either. give me just plenty of the items and a hold suitcase.

I actually find I take more of my comfort things with me than when I was in my twenties/thirties.