Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there would be less of a housing crisis if people stopped buying second homes!

264 replies

Okunoshima · 18/12/2020 16:42

Before anyone says anything, I understand that some people have second homes as private rentals and understand the need for rental properties

What I'm talking about is people buying second homes as holiday homes to live in on weekends/holidays/lend out to their friends.

Where I live there are a huge number of houses used solely for this purpose, and a lot of these houses are 2 beds that would make great homes for couples or families to occupy permanently. Instead they sit empty most of the time, while residents are left with the option of trying to buy (not affordable for many) or trying to find something in the tiny pool of private rentals available.

I don't understand why people can't just use hotels/B&Bs etc. They would be contributing to the local economy by doing so, and creating employment.

OP posts:
ElizaLaLa · 18/12/2020 16:43

🥱

theresagiantonthebeach · 18/12/2020 16:45

I agree.

Leaannb · 18/12/2020 16:47

Because some people don't like hotels or B&Bs. They want privacy and room. Its cheaper to rent out a holiday home for a week for a family of 4 than hotels or B&Bs for a week

D4rwin · 18/12/2020 16:48

It certainly is a problem anywhere coastal and close to shops.

BelleSausage · 18/12/2020 16:48

Agreed. The village I live in was a virtual ghost town during lockdown because all the rental homes were empty

Snackasaurus · 18/12/2020 16:51

Whilst I agree to some extent that there's a housing crisis, I think a lot of people who say they can't afford to get on the property ladder could if they chose starter homes instead of 4 bed detached houses on new build estates. My DH and I made a LOT of sacrifices to afford our home; we rarely ate out, we have never been on holiday, most of the things in our home are gifted or second hand. A lot of people I know claiming they can't afford a house (pre covid) used to eat out frequently, go on holidays, weekends away, nights out. They are in designer clothes and drive newish cars...

LST · 18/12/2020 16:51

I don't want to stay in hotels or b&bs. Maybe the government should start building the affordable homes and social housing they promised

Lockheart · 18/12/2020 16:54

The penchant for second homes destroys local communities. As nice as they may be for those that can afford them, they're extremely detrimental.

Banning them would certainly ease the demand in some areas, but I don't think it would solve the entirety of the housing issues we currently face.

winechateauxjoy · 18/12/2020 16:54

It causes huge problems in this area. We are fortunate enough to live a very beautiful part of the the country. Sadly, local wages are much lower than the national average and it can be very difficult for local school leavers to get well paid jobs in this area. It is so hard for local young people to get a foot on the property ladder and many houses here are second homes. It has pushed up the prices beyond the reach of first time buyers.

This means they are empty for long stretches of the year. If they register them as a business, for example by advertising on Air b and b then they avoid paying full council tax, so not contributing fully to local services. The owners are also not part of the community all year round, so don't get involved in local groups like churches, playgroup etc.

I have on dc already moved away to get a better paid graduate job. My second is wfh but will be moving away to be closer to head office next year. My eldest would love to come home, but knows that they cannot get their current salary, or even close to it here, and has no chance of buying a home here.

It is so sad. Of course the locals who sell their houses to second home owners are also part of the problem. One house in my street is about to go the same way I suspect - elderly neighbour has died, their children have moved away and will be wanting the highest price they can get.

Lockheart · 18/12/2020 16:55

@Snackasaurus

Whilst I agree to some extent that there's a housing crisis, I think a lot of people who say they can't afford to get on the property ladder could if they chose starter homes instead of 4 bed detached houses on new build estates. My DH and I made a LOT of sacrifices to afford our home; we rarely ate out, we have never been on holiday, most of the things in our home are gifted or second hand. A lot of people I know claiming they can't afford a house (pre covid) used to eat out frequently, go on holidays, weekends away, nights out. They are in designer clothes and drive newish cars...
You forgot to mention avocados, Netflix, and takeaway coffee in that litany of bollocks.
araiwa · 18/12/2020 16:58

Well obviously Confused

Original poster
Okunoshima · 18/12/2020 16:58

.A lot of people I know claiming they can't afford a house (pre covid) used to eat out frequently, go on holidays, weekends away, nights out. They are in designer clothes and drive newish cars...

I can't afford a house and I eat out about twice a year, never go on nights out and haven't been only holiday since 2017! I also drive a Peugeot 206. Similar situation among others I know around the same age (early 30s)

OP posts:
TheQueef · 18/12/2020 17:01

The solution to the housing crisis is a National build of social housing.
Real social housing not estates knocked up to maximise revenue for a HA.
Now is the time, we need the jobs too.

Snackasaurus · 18/12/2020 17:01

@Okunoshima

.A lot of people I know claiming they can't afford a house (pre covid) used to eat out frequently, go on holidays, weekends away, nights out. They are in designer clothes and drive newish cars...

I can't afford a house and I eat out about twice a year, never go on nights out and haven't been only holiday since 2017! I also drive a Peugeot 206. Similar situation among others I know around the same age (early 30s)

I'm saying about people I know though (mid-late 20s) Smile
2bazookas · 18/12/2020 17:05

There would be less of an airpollution crisis if families shared one car. Less of an ocean pollution crisis if we used less plastic, less make-up. Less of a climate crisis if we stopped felling forests to produce meat and palm oil. Less of an obesity health crisis if people stopped eating far more food than they need.

TheInfected · 18/12/2020 17:09

It's not second home owners it's career landlords, buy to let wankers.

Original poster
Okunoshima · 18/12/2020 17:24

@2bazookas

There would be less of an airpollution crisis if families shared one car. Less of an ocean pollution crisis if we used less plastic, less make-up. Less of a climate crisis if we stopped felling forests to produce meat and palm oil. Less of an obesity health crisis if people stopped eating far more food than they need.
Yes, and so maybe we should all be examining our choices and trying to make better decisions for the good of the world? The magnitude of social and ecological problems is not a valid excuse for unbridled selfishness
OP posts:
Graphista · 18/12/2020 17:25

2nd Homes are a drop in the ocean!

The real problem is the corruption in the industry which very much extends into parliament.

Way too many MPs are landlords/property developers and they vote against measures to provide more and affordable housing, against tenants rights, against measures that would control price rises...

It needs to stop it needs to become against parliamentary ethics/rules

It's a clear conflict of interest with hugely wide reaching effects

These will also be the people who've made it that 2nd homes aren't liable for council tax etc too which is also ridiculous and they could also legislate that only x amount of homes in areas where holiday homes would be popular (coastal areas etc which I also live in so I understand the issues) are allowed to BE holiday homes.

Tell your MPs how you feel about all this because it's an issue in all parties unfortunately

Elfieishere · 18/12/2020 17:25

I think if people can afford to buy a second home then fair play to them.

Not everyone wants to stay in a b&b and if they have the money to own a second home then why not.

Hawkins001 · 18/12/2020 17:30

Looking at the overall map of the UK, the land is there, provided it can be purchased, however it could be a multitude of factors, such as availability, the selling prices of the developers, the buy to let, then it's also people's budgeting skills, ect all these and probably other factors too.

Pumpertrumper · 18/12/2020 17:38

I mean, a lot less people would buy second homes if it wasn’t basically the only ‘solid’ investment.
Have you seen savings options? It’s laughable. The only real way to invest money and gain an almost certain return is in property, because U.K. property has become its own microclimate in the finance world.

I agree with ‘investors’ who own extensive property portfolios but your average ‘we’ve inherited a bit of money/we want to help our kids get on the property ladder in the future’ Middle aged couples, I can totally understand why they’d buy a small place somewhere nice and rent it out or use it as a holiday home.

Plus, and I’m not being funny but even if they didn’t buy a second home that doesn’t mean joe blogs would be able to afford it. No matter how ‘reasonable’ the housing market became there will always be a lathe volume of low/minimum wage earners who can’t afford/don’t want to buy a property. They rely on rental supply.

SweatyBetty20 · 18/12/2020 17:38

One of the reasons second homes are a problem is that it takes the life away from a village. There are several villages in the Lake District which only have one or two permanent residents - the rest are holiday lets. This means that the pub closes, the shop closes, the village school closes, and the village essentially closes down. There's one on the approach to Scafell Pike which is basically a ghost town, which is so sad - there's no life there.

toconclude · 18/12/2020 17:49

Holiday homes are localised, though. The housing crisis is national, and weighted to areas where there is work - this doesn't tend to be holiday areas. Your local area may be suffering but I don't think you can generalise it to the national level.

winechateauxjoy · 18/12/2020 17:49

@SweatyBetty20 exactly! It's why our local school has falling numbers and is under threat of being closed and merged with another school. If local people could afford to buy and raise their children in the area then this would not be happening. We are also in Wales, so we also have the additional problem of the impact it is having on the language. My own children fully intend to raise their own children as Welsh speakers, but that is made more difficult when you no longer live in a Welsh speaking area, with a Welsh medium school.

I would love to own a holiday home - I dream of buying a place in France - but I just would not do it. It causes so much harm to the local area. Now, buying a home in France that I could move to permanently - that is still my dream.....

Whyistheteacold · 18/12/2020 17:56

I completely agree with you op. I know one family who are currently living in a bedsit, and I've known people who got by sofasurfing among friends as there simply aren't enough rental properties/houses. And some selfish twats have multiple homes that aren't being used. It's lovely for them that they can afford several properties, but they just don't consider (or care) about the impact it has on others