To think that owning a second home to use as a holiday home is extremely selfish?

[benadrylcucumberpatch]

It would be a different story if there was a surplus of vacant properties . As it stands holiday home owners turn communities into ghost towns, inflate prices in desirable areas (many of which are rural with low wages) and displace people who would live in the property full time.

Aibu to think this is selfish and reprehensible? Why are such people not villified for taking more than they need in such an extreme way?

*I feel like people should be a bit more sympathetic. There are people out there who do all the right things, they get educated, go in to debt for it and still struggle to get a job that pays well enough to handle all the costs

But if you go to university and get into debt you must have looked at the statistics that getting university degree in 85% of cases means you will not get a great job afterwards.

As for being blind to my own privilege I am wondering what exactly that privilege is that set me apart from other healthy people and being white.

I am from an immigrant family and grew up in an overcrowded slum council house. My mother went crazy and tried to kill me on a few occasions and so I was put into care.
Which I was bounced in and out of throughout my childhood.

I left school and moved into a flat and spent years working multiple jobs, coming off one job and having a couple of hours sleep before going to a different job so I could afford to buy a tiny unrenovated studio flat.

Yet I am supposed to be privileged compared to someone I know who grew up in a nice family.
Had all the right clothes left school, got married and pregnant and moved into her own 3 bedroom council house virtually next door to her family and had more children whilst she was still young. Baby sitter on tap so she could return to work and not have to pay for childcare

I have moved many times and done up many houses and flats and we are now buying a holiday home abroad and a bigger place here whilst this person is still living in her council house paying rent

This person like a lot who just see the end product think we have been lucky.

Oliversmums I hope no one would accuse you of anything. You have survived an incredibly hard start to life and clearly made your own way. There’s nothing shameful in success. I hope you enjoy your hol home in the sun.

This assumption that everyone can aspire to something better if they just work hard enough makes me want to scream.

It's not just work hard. It's more of a work smart.
I can't imagine a reason why person who is able to work can't move up from NMW. Even just a bracket up. I am not saying everyone should end up with 100k job. But even move to 22k makes GIANT difference.

£22k’s not going to buy you one house, let alone two.

Its all relative. There are thousands upon thousand of homes for sale (just go on RightMove). Trouble is no-one is buying other than the brand new starter homes where stamp duty and moving costs are all paid. I have a lovely three-bedroom 17th century cottage in a semi rural location for sale since my wife died three years ago and I have now met someone else and I have moved in with her..so technically two homes, but one I don't want. Been on the market for a year now and only two viewings.

I agree with you. However I also think it's morally repugnant to own more than one home period.

£22k’s not going to buy you one house, let alone two.

I bought a house on 21k🤷 Understandably it's about the area though. 22k was really just an example of not having to aim for super heights. That extra money can make big difference compare to NMW.

I totally agree OP. I live in a small village in south west scotland, where a high percentage of the homes are rarely used holiday homes. Its only really become an issue as my sister who currently rents a house in the village, is looking to buy, but all the bigger houses ( she has 4 dc) are holiday homes, seldom used. Its so frustrating, as our village and the nighbouring village rely on families with young children moving to and staying in the area.

Also human. No, but £40k joint salaries will.

Stoatof could you afford to buy a second property?

Oliversmumsarmy

I don't begrudge you your success, congratulations. I will say you do have another privilege that others do not always have though.

Intelligence. Especially when it comes to being entrepreneurial enough to flip property. A lot of people are going to take the safe path because of anxiety or they're going to be mislead. Pain in life usually gives us a higher degree of street smarts to understand when something popular is not always a good deal. For example some people still work hard, but they can't figure a way out of a NMW job. It takes a certain mindset to know how to take the right opportunities. You also need to be sociable enough to get people to hire you, like you and give you those opportunities.

Now should you penalised for the shortcomings of others? No.

But I think all humans deserve a certain standard of living even if they are being let down by their circumstances.

@Britishwestsussex1960 aAgreed. There are nice, solid 30s semis sitting on a market while people by new builds nearby for 3x as much. And with less space. Don't get it. It cannot be just about help to buy imho. You need only 5% deposit for the old house. Yes, you will have rate 4% instead of 2% for couple of years, but it still works out cheaper.

£40k joint salary wouldn’t buy you anything here.

Denise. Do you see the irony there? Your sister has benefitted by renting a house but now she’s in a position to afford to buy she doesn’t think people should be able to have second properties that they rent out? 🥴

@gingerbreadsprinkle, I never thought this would happen but I actually agree with every word you just posted.

£40k joint salary wouldn’t buy you anything here.

So just fuck it and lets not even try? There is really nothing for 160k in a vicinity?

I don't have a lot of time for the sort of whiny piety that targets people who have just a bit more than most. Holiday homes, as PP have said, can generate money for the local economy (the people who rent them out spend money on food/entertainment/souvenirs) - and are not the main cause of the housing crisis. The single biggest cause of the housing crisis is the fact that so much social housing was sold off - and those who took advantage of the right to buy are not to blame: the fault lies with the legislation that prohibited the councils to invest the money from these sales in building more social housing.

Alsohuman. It may be an alien concept to you but sometimes people move to an area where they can afford to buy so that they can get a foot on the housing ladder.

One of our friends has just done exactly this, he’ll be increasing his commute to work but has bought a property to do up in a cheaper town with the view that it will be for a couple of years and then they plan to try and move back this way once they have some equity.

So a care worker can just up and move, adding petrol costs and an extra hour or so at each end of their working day? Some you haven’t a clue how other people live, have you? Talk about blinded by privilege.

Also. Don’t make assumptions, my friend works on the bins. If he can do it I reckon there are others who can too.

These threads make me laugh, doesn’t matter what options people come up with you’re determined to find a reason why none of them will work. It’s pure defeatism and it’s possibly the reason why some don’t progress as much as they could.

So a care worker can just up and move, adding petrol costs and an extra hour or so at each end of their working day? Some you haven’t a clue how other people live, have you? Talk about blinded by privilege.

In 10 years I moved 3 cities within UK to find a good balance work/living costs. And within that cities I also moved number of times to keep costs down. And from a country to country. Studied while working FT and on was on NMW first 4 years. Don't talk to me about privilege.

If people have the disposable income you can't really tell them what to spend it on. A holiday home is a good investment.

*£40k joint salary wouldn’t buy you anything here.

So just fuck it and lets not even try? There is really nothing for 160k in a vicinity?*

Er, yes. It's certainly the case in my town.

OP, you are not being unreasonable. Homes should be homes. I live in an area where most families squeeze in to flats and the other flats are holiday let's (seaside town). I'm pretty sure that the owners of the holiday lets despise noisy families occupying the area, but if they didnt buy all these flats up as investments, thus raising house prices, we wouldn't be priced out of buying a house and living next to their 'investment'.

No, nothing for £160k here. Commuter belt.

I live 10 mins drive from a mainline station which is 35-40 mins straight into central London.

A quick look on rightmove brings up 130+ properties currently for sale under £160k, in Oxfordshire which is considered expensive. 🤔