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?

hotel guests in Edinburgh causing the city to be busy and the streets to be crowded, also putting up hotel prices, so much so, that the Council is wanting to introduce a tourist tax. -Presumably to reduce the numbers or punish them for visiting?-

A city tax is actually the norm in most of the European capitals I've visited, usually no more Than a euro a night. It isn't to punish visitors, it is to ensure some proceeds of tourism can be directed specifically towards maintenance that is needed because of large numbers of people visiting. It does not discourage people to visit as it just adds a bit extra onto your accomodation costs.

I wouldnt mind so much if it were easier to buy a first house. Most of us work very hard but cannot afford to save 20,000 quickly.

I'm a New Yorker. NYC is always busy with tourists everywhere you look. It's fine. A bit annoying when they walk very slowly on the sidewalk in front of you, but they are generally quite pleasant and just part of the fabric of the city. I can't quite get my head around why people would object to tourists.

NYC levies a 14.75% hotel tax, so it's quite a bit of money for the city, but fair as they use city services while here.

Do those of us with second homes not pay council tax? We do and use far less local resourced that are funded, so in effect are paying our local tourist tax.

Fgs Gingerbread your birth in the US and mine is the UK wasn't our parents happening to heap us with privilege...we are contingent beings, and if our parents hadn't chosen to have sex at that particular moment in time, we wouldn't be here. We could not have been born in medieval times as our parents did not exist then.

You may want to be 'woke' and bang on about privilege, but we are where we are in history because people before us made scientific discoveries. Vaccination has been around a long time.

I don't think we are privileged as a country to be able to afford it, that smacks of no effort being made, but there has been over the centuries in establishing the UK as a place where people want to invest and do business. We collectively make the decisions which lead to a stable society and we choose to uphold the rule of law. We could choose to descend into anarchy and lawlessness. That we don't is not privilege, but is common sense and self interest.

I think the being female cancels out the white 'prvilege' don't you?

malificent7
I wouldnt mind so much if it were easier to buy a first house. Most of us work very hard but cannot afford to save 20,000 quickly.

£20,000? Are you sure?

More like £60,000 for a deposit!

It is difficult for people to get on the property ladder now, when we did it mid 1970s it was fairly easy by comparison.

However people do eventually, often with a bit of help from bank of mum and dad or grandma and grandad - or both.

allthingsred
Yanbu
Where we live is the same so many properties vacant for more than half the year.
I work with homeless people, so have a particular gripe with this.
There is a house opposite me, nothing big or fancy (ex 2 bed council house) bought as a holiday home. People who own it comes down maybe 3 x year. Such a waste when there are family's squeezed in 1 room for months on end waiting for a property to become available

I can understand how you feel about that particular house but presumably other people could have put in a bid to buy it. If the council was selling they would obviously go for the easiest option, a cash buyer if possible. That's probably what happened.

There's also the fact that a lot of buyers don't want an ex council property for some reason. even though some are really nice and good value for money.

More like £60,000 for a deposit!
Don't buy 1+ mil house as a first (starter) house🤷

I think the being female cancels out the white 'prvilege' don't you?
Ha! What about female..... Foreigner 😁 Trumped you all now.

Never thought I enjoyed 'white privilege' being brought up in a notorious gang infested crime ridden council estate, then entering employment in a male dominated world where the first staff party was advertised in the noticeboard "All staff and their wives are invited to....".
When pointing out the obvious discrimination in the invitation I was called a 'feminist lesbian'.

White privilege my arse.

Still - drove me on to become 'the boss' and to ensure my kids were brought up in a beautiful and safe (if there is such a thing) area.

Finding the lists of things people don’t “have an issue with” and are prepared to tolerate very amusing. You’ll ‘allow’ us a second property as long as we rent it out to others for the amount of time per year that you deem appropriate?

You do know that buying a second property isn’t illegal right so those of us who’ve worked hard and are in that position don’t really care two hoots if it’s ‘acceptable’ to you or not 😆

And not many people would be able you save £20k for a deposit quickly. I know how many years my DH and I scrimped and saved for and it certainly wasn’t quick! Think that’s part of the trouble, some people expect things handed to them on a plate and they’re not prepared to wait and to work hard for them. Life doesn’t work that way and the quicker they figure that out the better (for them, the rest of us are already doing ok as we cottoned onto that along time ago).

our home in England is in a village with no second homes

how can you possibly know about the ownership of every house? Other than if it's a really tiny village with only a few houses in which case - no wonder things have closed.

Ninjainfluffypjs
I think your figure is more accurate. I just did a Which deposit calculation and you'd need 21,202 deposit on a £425,313 house.
I honestly don't know where I got the £60,000 figure for deposit on an ordinary sort of house but I didn't dream it, someone must have told me that.

@Rachelover40 that's fine. Lots of people have 10%+ deposit somehow in their head. FTBs in UK are very lucky to be able to put down just 5%. Elsewhere it's anyhere between 15 and 25%😮

I have no issue with people moving to a new area if they are going to live in the house they bought.

But for most people, that would mean giving up their jobs. While that might be nice for those who can afford it, its hardly practical for all.

What I started this discussion about is those who purchase a second house for their own sole use so that it is empty most of the time.

Who knows the statistics? How can you distinguish between people who buy a second home with a view to retiring to it in a few years, or those who buy it then get posted overseas, or whose marriages break up? What about those who buy for retirement? People have all sorts of reasons for buying properties. Some might need work that they only have time to do at weekends. They might not have a budget to pay local tradesmen (I know that round my way, which ironically is a tourist town destination, local tradesmen are more expensive than those you get from further away in the major city, if you can persuade the latter to travel). Unless you have all the information, I think it can be very unfair to judge.

Would you judge an elderly local, who lives in a 6 bedroom house, whose family have all moved away and never visit, and whose partner or spouse died a while ago?

But for most people, that would mean giving up their jobs. While that might be nice for those who can afford it, its hardly practical for all.

Then stay where you live currently and just go on holiday to the place? Like most people do? You don't need to have a house sitting there un-used just so you can go somewhere on holiday.

people who buy a second home with a view to retiring to it in a few years
Buy the house when your actually ready to retire?

They might not have a budget to pay local tradesmen
What does this have to do with anything?

Would you judge an elderly local, who lives in a 6 bedroom house, whose family have all moved away and never visit, and whose partner or spouse died a while ago?

This is underoccupation and a different thing entirely.

I'm not sure why you are so determined to misunderstand everything I post .

Makes zero sense financially to wait until retirement to buy a house when you can purchase at a lower price now and recoup some of the cost through rent whilst also increasing your equity.

I think the being female cancels out the white 'prvilege' don't you?

No way. Not even close. I will never say a white woman is less privileged than a black man especially if dealing with law enforcement or court. I respect the struggle that others go through. You are never going to be killed by a cop in the same way and if you were kidnapped there would be far more financial resource devoted to finding you. Come on.

NinjaInFluffyPJs
@Rachelover40 that's fine. Lots of people have 10%+ deposit somehow in their head. FTBs in UK are very lucky to be able to put down just 5%. Elsewhere it's anyhere between 15 and 25%😮

That's a relief! I felt quite panicky though don't know why, I'm not first time buying or moving :-). Probably panicky on behalf of others who are young-ish.

I'm not sure why you are so determined to misunderstand everything I post .

Its a discussion...

Its not a platform for you to assert your views and insist on no dissent.

Can I ask you where you go on holiday yourself and how do you tend to relate to other guests? Do you observe them a lot and make little judgements about them? You do realise that different people want different things out of holidays? There isn't just one way to do things which is right? Me, I love self-catering, and I'd hate to be full board in a hotel full of people whose main hobby is sizing up other guests and commenting on them.

@Rachelover40 I actually think that lots of people who say they are sure they will never get a mortgage have similar figures like you in a head. I spoke to a friend and she thought she will never be able to buy. We live in a cheaper county. Ended up doing some calculations and found out that if they change their rental budget and get a couple of hundred quid cheaper one, they will save that+ bit on a top of it as they planned and will have a deposit for a cheaper house in much less than 3 years. Which is perfect timing for them. Qnd not even in the really crappy areas. She thought 5% deposit was just for new builds. Like many people do. That may be why everyone is buying overpriced new builds instead of 2 thirds cheaper solid semis nearby.

Rachelover40. I think you’re right to feel concerned about how young people will get on the housing ladder.

That’s exactly why we have invested in property, so that we can help our DC when the time comes (and ensure our retirement plans are properly funded 😊).

Yet apparently I’m wrong and immoral and a nasty selfish person for doing that. You know what? I reckon I can live with some random on the internet thinking that because a) I don’t value their opinion enough for it to bother me and b) I know I’m doing the right thing for my family which will always be my priority.

Can I ask you where you go on holiday yourself and how do you tend to relate to other guests?

Yes OP and do share with us how you ensure full occupancy of your vacant property for the duration of your trip. You wouldn’t want to be wasting precious housing resources for the homeless families in your community by leaving your house empty would you?

Dorsetdays, you are far from selfish. You're investing so your children can have a decent life and there's nothing wrong with that. Doesn't everyone help their children as much as they can?

Its a discussion

Yes, and lots of people other than you have contributed interesting views about social and economic effects both positive and negative of second homes.

Its not a platform for you to assert your views and insist on no dissent.
That isn't what is happening. Just another overwrought interpretation from you.

Can I ask you where you go on holiday yourself and how do you tend to relate to other guests? Do you observe them a lot and make little judgements about them?
I would be too busy enjoying my holiday, which isn't something I get to do often, to be observing and judging people. What a bizarre scenario you are imagining.

Yes OP and do share with us how you ensure full occupancy of your vacant property for the duration of your trip. You wouldn’t want to be wasting precious housing resources for the homeless families in your community by leaving your house empty would you?
Yes because me leaving my house (which in any case wouldn't be unoccupied) for a week once a year is exactly the same as second homes that are empty 90 percent of the year

The contrast with the recent car leasing thread amuses me.

It’s clearly ok to spend say £500 a month indefinitely on a depreciating asset that you never own and at the end have nothing to show for it but a series of shiny new cars every couple of years but not OK to use that money to buy an appreciating asset which can generate an income.

Rachel. Well I thought so but clearly there are some people on here (never met anyone like it in RL) who are in a position to help their DC but choose not to as they hold such strong views.

As I’ve said all along, each to their own but they shouldn’t try and impose their views on others who don’t agree.