Why no tradition of owning holiday / country homes in the UK?

[rickyrickygrimes]

We’re currently on holiday in Iceland, out on a tour and passing lots of rural areas where there are loads of little holiday cottages - just simple wooden huts mostly with a little garden area and trees all around so pretty private and secluded without being really remote. We live in France, and there too it’s really common for a family to have a country house - usually owned by an older family member and available to younger generations to use at weekend and holidays. We used to live in NZ and again there’s a really strong tradition of families having a ‘bach’ - again usually a fairly simple wooden structure out in the bush or alongside a coast / lake (though a lot if these are not so simple anymore - nor cheap).

it just made me wonder why there’s no tradition like this in the UK? I knew one person growing up whose family had a ‘cabin’ in the west of Scotland, but they were pretty wealthy.

I used to live in Russia and I loved getting invited to someone's dacha! You've just brought back some happy memories for me, OP.

I would assume stamp duty costs and cost of running 2 homes, etc. on second homes would have something to do with it.

Having said that, there are a lot of second homes/holiday homes around but they are also rented out to the paying public, probably to recover some of the costs.

• The high price of land/homes.
• One of the highest density populations in Europe
• The fact that Brits have always worked longer hours than most of Europe. By 6pm on Friday, the last thing I want to do is get on a busy motorway
• Being an island nation, our weather is very wet and windy. Buildings deteriorate quickly unless they are well maintained which is harder to do if you live 90 miles from your holiday home.
• The UK has caravans instead.

I would say that even in NZ, having a bach is mostly for affluent families. Or those that actually had grandparents with a bit of spare cash at the right time who were able to buy the family bach on Waiheke for $40,000 NZD in the 70s and then the family has been affluent enough to not need to ever sell it. The equivalent now is millions and thus bach life is most definitely for the affluent.

Smaller country and more pressure for land, but also because most of the land is owned by a minority of people and there is restricted access to land and restrictive planning regulations in the UK compared to many countries

Years ago (I'm talking back in the 1920's/30's) it was actually not uncommon for middle class people in the UK to have a chalet near the coast for this very reason. However, strict planning laws now simply wouldn't allow it. There were "summer chalets" near the Bristol Channel that I personally know of which are long since gone and now a housing estate. There was also another one on the cliffs of the Gower coast which has probably suffered the same fate. Additionally because we are a small island with a groaning population, land is at a premium price. Every square patch is being built on, or eyed up for building and, even if the authorities allowed people to build a cabin, they wouldn't be able to afford the land or they'd sell it for mega bucks!

I’m in Canada. I know lots of people with a cabin by a lake or, alternatively, an RV or trailer (v.large caravan) which they either have on a year round site or travel extensively with.

We have a second home in the mountains. We visit regularly - it’s a 8 hour drive from our other home. We are in the mountains for the whole of the summer holiday (late June to late August). We’ll be retiring here in a couple of years time.

We were there in the early 2000 and it was very clear things going that way. One of our rental houses was built on bach land - architect designed, huge, contemporary, worth millions - with the tiny original prefab bach in the bush alongside it.

We’ve got a second home. And no, I don’t feel entitled to hate anyone who chooses to spend their own money, on which they pay a fuck ton of tax, on whatever they want. I wouldn’t dream of telling someone in receipt of benefit what they could and couldn’t buy? It’s not my business.
We (individually) are net contributors by a very, very long way, off our own backs, we’ve inherited and been given nothing. We go every week, I’m here now.

Agree with others that it’s a case of the UK being very densely populated and also lots of people having quite low incomes. That said, I know lots of people at my work who have holiday homes - but these are people who are very well off.

in Australia lots of people have beach houses - but that’s very much an upper middle class luxury and always has been.

The scandi/nordic countries have low populations, high incomes and a high standard of living. It’s like a different planet.

I dont own a holiday home.
But i do rent a small tiny place in india have done for years same place same people they know me well.
Met by chance and that was that i pay a small amount of rent all year round.
I have my own keys and they take care of thing when im no there.
I travel light just a back pack because its home from home for me.
I also have the same set up in a peaceful part of thailand.
When i arrive its just like going home popping the kettle on getting in the shower.
Fire up the laptop etc just normal.
You dont have to own it to live it ive been living this way for almost 20 odd years.

Static caravans are not the same as what you describe, no, but they are the UK version of it. Naturally, we don't have the same model as societies that are less densely populated than ours.

Holidays are only a very recent invention in the UK, 209 years ago most working people would have worked 6.5 days a week with 1 day off a month to return home. I can’t really see millworkers or tenant farmers having a little holiday house elsewhere.

I’m from Scotland and Iceland looks very similar (not just the rain). The Highlands aren’t exactly densely populated, but the landownership structure and history is obviously very different to Iceland.

I was also wondering if the Industrial Revolution was that much more intense in the UK and when the population moved to the cities, they really did leave the countryside 100%. My impression from speaking to French people is that they do hark back to their rural roots a lot by comparison, even the most urbane of them.

Yes I think that's an element of it. And a lot of people will be over two centuries in at this point. Bear in mind also that a decent minority of the UK population will have ancestors that came to British towns and cities during the Industrial Revolution from Ireland, which is a further step away.

Anyone with a second home in the UK tends to rent it as opposed to holiday in it. My family have one in French which is very normal over there, only used by family & friends.

Weather may have something to do with it & land is much cheaper in Europe.

Also culturally more common for families to enjoy spending time together! 😆

I think we as a nation feel entitled to hate anyone who owns more than the property they live in.

That's because of intergenerational inequality though & the fact housing can earn you more than a job. It's very distorted.

Lack of available land and cost - a lot of people struggle to pay for one house, let alone a holiday cabin too

Also Europeans are more comfortable driving longer distances.

I grew up in the 70s and lots of people had holiday homes in France, when property was very cheap and you could buy a chateau for like 50 euros and a pack of Gauloises. They would load up the Volvo with the roof-rack and the dog and take the ferry from Dover to Calais and then drive for 11 hours to their gite. Was v popular.

Personally, I wouldn't want another home in the UK. For me, getting away is mostly about escaping the UK climate!

People would rather spend the cost of a country cottage on annual holidays abroad where the weather is more reliable.

The upper classes certainly had this tradition. I volunteer at a National Trust type place which was the family's summer residence for 6 weeks of the year.
Lower classes just didn't go on holiday. It was only the introduction of the train lines, Thomas Cook and workers rights to a 2-week holiday that started holiday-ing as we know it today.