If you had a second home, have you or would you go to it ?

[Lardlizard]

?

Devon and Cornwall police have put on FB that Devon is closed. They will be stopping caravans/motor homes and people looking like they are travelling to second home son the main routes into Devon such as the A38, A30 and North Devon link road

We have a second home in the lakes. Normally go every other weekend but no we are not going. Is not essential travel. It’s quite straight forward really

@AnnaUumellamahaye

You really don't understand this situation do you?

Why don't you tell me?

Several posters have already highlighted the lack of critical care beds in these rural areas. The Government were also very clear about remaining in your PRIMARY residence, which would exclude a second hom. If you still aren't understanding the situation I'm not sure it can be dumbed down anymore.

@BookWitch they're not in a too rural area and are relatively close to a large city hospital. I dont know if we would make the same decision if this wasn't the case but I also cant say we wouldn't. The chance of them getting it in their home would be very very high and they have a low chance of fighting it off. It was a case of getting them out before they get it and die as far as we were concerned tbh

I do and I haven't.

All these people saying that second home owners should stay in the cities and not come to their OWN HOMES for fear of bringing the virus with them remind me of people in a half-full lifeboat kicking others away who are still trying to climb onto it, instead of helping them up.

Eh? Who is helping anyone by travelling to an under resourced area. Even the police are trying to get tourists to leave Devon and Cornwall at the moment.

The A30 has been really busy today with lots of caravans. FFS, which part of "don't travel" do people not get?

However, we took the decision to move my elderly father here to a rural area so we could shield him. He lives alone and if he was at home, he would be out shopping almost daily. With us, he has a large garden and DD & I can shop for him. He moved here before the lockdown and has every intention of staying for the full 12 weeks, if not longer.

For those arguing about 2nd home owners, round the corner from me is a barn which was converted to a family house around 12 years ago. It was very expensive for the area and the room sizes were bizarre. Nobody local who could afford it was interested, and those who might be interested couldn't afford it. It was eventually bought by a family from Hertfordshire who were going to use it as their second home. Except they don't. They rent it out for 35 - 40 weeks per year. Yes, the visitors may go to the pub a mile and a half away or use the takeaways 3 miles away (unlikely) but they don't use the local schools which are struggling for numbers. They might use the golf club, but what about the activities that rely on local people going week in, week out all year round?

The A30 has been really busy today with lots of caravans. FFS, which part of "don't travel" do people not get?

A friend shared a photo of Hayle quay earlier with dozens of parked camper vans, meanwhile I haven't left my home in three weeks.

That is not true @SachaStark.

Additionally, comments like “my friend who works at Treliske told me” are worrying. NHS staff ate bound by Data Protection laws and it is not acceptable for them to be telling friends how many people are in ICU. Or indeed, where the patients live

The advice NOW is to stay put, and not travel. So fair enough to stop people, wherever they are going to and from.

but The Government were also very clear about remaining in your PRIMARY residence that message was clearly lost on the royal family

We have one , we air bnb but have had to refund loads however we would have been there over Easter ,it would be much better for us there as it's near the beach tiny village and lots of country walks etc and although I'm shielding we could have found places to walk without seeing anyone , our house backs on to a huge park with bike paths a river walk ect it's now packed with people taking there daily exercise (& also some taking the piss) x we have followed the guide lines and those who haven't should be fined x

Additionally, all the people I have met who have second homes in Cornwall are people who inherited them, usually from grandparents. Presumably they were the second homes of their grandparents, but what does it matter really?

Those people pay council tax for facilities that they will only use for part of the year. They eat out in local restaurants and buy items in local shops.

Not all businesses in Cornwall are dependent on tourism but so many are. The underlying “You‘re not welcome” attitude of some locals has always been unpleasant and is really showing at the moment.

I do, and I haven’t because I’m not an arsehole

Why is the government protecting rural areas with the Don't Travel messages, backed up by local police and roadblocks, yet Heathrow airport is still open for non freight/medical flights? To quote a PP, the I'm Alright Jacks in rural areas happily travelled through cities, returned to city airports from holidays and business trips abroad, took day trips to the cities, all the while possibly infecting the hundreds of thousands of elderly and vulnerable city inhabitants who have no other choice. They face a far higher risk of catching (and dying from) coronavirus because of being crammed into high density housing. In the cities hospital resources couldn't cope hence temporary hospitals being required. Talking of under pressure resources, housing is pretty much a basic essential of life. It's fine for people to keep moving to cities that are suffering acute affordable housing shortages - but it's not ok for a small minority of city dwellers to have self isolated in rural areas? Double standards.

Cities don't tend to vote Conservative. Is that why rural areas are being more protected? The whole of the UK should've been protected, not only selected parts of it.

Does anyone know how insurance will work if something happens at a second home you aren't able to visit? Most insurance policies have a max term for them to be left but I imagine these are going to be exceeded. Will they still pay out for water damage, break ins etc?

No because we would be reading boring walks in London for a less good hospital

And also the pricing out is bollox , ours is a 4 bed cottage that would not be a first home , it was brought with unexpected inheritance (husband's side) and it was a wreck , it's now been fully renovated and looks lovely , we have a cleaner from the local area that comes after each airbnb and checks on the house in general and is salaried unlike most cleaners on a very fair wage and we have a gardener also local area employed that comes weekly , we are known locally as we use it often and are well liked in the area, in fact we lived there exclusively for 4 months exclusively after a bereavement (I couldn't go home to an empty nursery) the locals were wonderful and welcoming , while we are there we use all the local shops and delis rather than use the supermarket (local town is full of independent shops), it's funished predominantly by local shops & we used local builders and trades men in the refurbishment , all the second home bashing is just stupid jealously , it's the same with the whingeing about people with gardens , if you don't like your home move !

Suggestions My insurance goes to unoccupied after 30 days which covers pretty much nothing with our insurer, read the list of exclusions and couldn't see what it still included, no water, no theft, no malicious damage etc but depends on insurer. Not sure if they will make allowances, ours is pretty safe area and empty and at least weather is OK.

No dont have one and definitely not have you not been reading the newspapers, watching the TV, accessing the internet etc etc etc

I do. I haven't. We've lost cash as we've chosen not to rent it out but to give it to local family at cost.

Already had the piss taken on MN once tonight for it though ... Not sure you can win if you have a second home.

Just leaving this here........by the way London has 64 cases per 100000 and a fuckton of resources.

And people wonder why Cumbria has effectively closed the gates ?

I have a second home in a rural area.

I’ve rented it out for free to some nurses who work in the local hospital as the ferries/public transport are less reliable/often.

I will be staying away from the area so that I’m not endangering anyone or using resources that are already stretched