To detest people that think they own beautiful parts of the world?

[Bumpitybumper]

I grew up in a very ugly and undesirable part of the country and now live in a tourist hotspot. I am becoming increasingly frustrated by people that are born and raised here trying to restrict tourism or stop 'outsiders' moving here. The houses are expensive here because it's such a lovely place to live but there isn't much employment except for from tourism. Despite this many locals that I know feel that tourism should be restricted as it makes the town extremely busy in high season. They also think housing should be subsidised for locals.

I feel that there are only so many beautiful places and those lucky enough to be born in them are no more entitled to live and enjoy them than the rest of us who by luck were born elsewhere. This would effectively condemn future people like me to live and visit only the less desirable of areas whilst my children could stay in this lovely area and be subsidised for doing so. It just feels incredibly unfair!

So what you're saying is, people should be forced out of areas where they grew up and have friends and family because they aren't wealthy?

Plus, pretty areas have their down sides, such as lack of public transport or amenities. You should be careful what you wish for.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/12/abersoch-second-homes-holiday-wales

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/may/30/staycation-boom-forces-tenants-out-of-seaside-resort-homes

Okay, so shit like this is acceptable then?

Well maybe they had the luxury of waiting for someone local who wasn't a developer to come along. It's probably actually easier to act ethically in a highly desirable area.

Not really, it was an unfashionable part of London. Plus many of the touristy areas on this thread are highly desirable but people want more money. That’s fine but at least acknowledge that.

Well as I said it depends if you live in a desirable area and have a choice.

If you don't, and you need to sell to whoever comes along, then you take what you can get. But I guess those circumstances aren't what we're talking about here anyway.

But then greedy local Jane is the problem. Locals must police themselves if they want to keep outsiders out. If they’re not prepared to do that then they need to stop whinging.

Not so undesirable if they had a choice about who to sell it to.

I think the problem with “Families should stand on principles and sell at a ‘fair price’ to a local instead” is: Suppose I do this, and sell to Jane, a local at a fair price. There is nothing to stop Jane then turning around and deciding to sell it to a Down From Londoner for a vastly inflated price six months later. So the house still ends up being a holiday home, and the only thing my principles have done is made me look and feel like a right mug.

So it’s greed, fair enough.

I don't want to stay in a hotel. I want more space. I don't just want a bed.
I certainly don't want to stay in a caravan. I want a house. And so called lodges are already expensive enough. So that will drive the prices up and the tourists out and what will happen to the jobs where tourism is the main industry?
If locals cannot afford to buy in their area then they need to buy in a cheaper area when starting out. My parents bought in the cheapest area they could, in a town neither of them lived, just to get on the property ladder and they moved up and out when they could afford it.

If the prices are being forced up by investors then the locals who are selling can easily say no, we want to sell to a family or to a couple starting out. But more often than not they sell to the highest bidder, which is often an investor. No one is forcing the vendors to do this.

Not so undesirable if they had a choice about who to sell it to.

competitive pricing tends to result in a sale regardless of the area, that cannot be a shock to you? Of course she could have held out to see if a different family could get closer to the developers offer but as I said her principles were more important than money.

And it’s fine if you do want the highest offer for your property but at least acknowledge you then become part of the problem re locals getting priced out & it isn’t just the newcomers changing the area.

I find your language interesting. Should I be forced to live in less desirable areas because all the housing in desirable housing is earmarked for locals so they can be near their family and friends? Can you not see how this entrenches generational privilege and also inequality? If I can't live in a lovely place then neither can my kids or their kids etc. Meanwhile someone that happens to live in a lovely area can rest easy knowing that their descendants can all enjoy the area for generations to come.

All areas have their down sides. I would still choose to live where I currently live than where I was born. So would the vast majority of people.

I can see it both ways really. We were in Cornwall in the summer and it was quite clear that the centre of the village was mostly holiday homes and let’s. This must be a bit depressing for locals when it’s out of season and there’s no real community feel. At the same time I think you should be allowed buy and live where you can afford to. We live in a rather expensive area, we certainly couldn’t have afforded to in the decade or so after university and I wouldn’t expect my children to think that just because they were raised here they are automatically entitled to be able to afford to live similarly. That’s something they can work towards.

Are you applying this free for all globally OP, or just UK nationals? So, born in some shithole somewhere in the world, just move to Cornwall.

The houses are expensive here because it's such a lovely place to live but there isn't much employment except for from tourism

This is where the real problem lies but YANBU

Agree with you, OP, 100%.

Well no one is stopping you from moving to that area are they?

I moved to a ‘nice’ touristy part of the country. No one stopped me, no one’s complained. Second homes though are a bugbear as they take permanent homes off the market.

It does get very busy in the summer but I realise that the nature of where I live and I’m used to it now.

Also if you’ve sold to Jane at less than the market rate you are reliant on somebody doing the same to you if you are moving within area. Most people aren’t going to have the luxury of being able to do that if they need to upsize.

Ten years.

I did mention both tourists and people moving to the area from outside as I think that both these groups are often criticised by local people. There is an overarching attitude that the beautiful place belongs to local people and they have an entitlement to it that other people don't have.

But who does it apply to and who does it not? As zileri says in their excellent post, what about if someone born and raised in a scenic place moves to Spitalfields, earns lots and pushes up prices there so East Enders have to move away?

Well if you already live there what’s the problem?

I have moved there but some locals definitely have an attitude that housing should be ear marked for local people and not rich outsiders.

Also concept like subsidised or reserved housing for local people is often floated which I am absolutely opposed to. Affordable housing for essential jobs is one thing but I don't think local people should be automatically prioritised. That goes against all social mobility models and engrains inequality.

Second homes and Airbnbs are ruinous. They make it not only expensive but disconnected and unsafe to live in a place.

Absolutely nothing wrong with people moving to wherever they want, it’s the second home owners who are the problem. I think maybe sometimes people confuse the two. Having perfectly decent family homes empty for large parts of the year when local people can’t find anywhere to live is a real problem where I live. I don’t sense any hostility towards the tourists but definitely to the second home owners. Difficult thing is without the second homes, where would the tourists stay? It’s a vicious cycle really.

Also who is an outsider. I was born and raised elsewhere but my kids have lived here all their lives. Do they now have the same claim as someone that has generations of family here? What about if someone moves away for a time and wants to come back? I have seen concepts of culture, language, networks mentioned on this thread. Very complex and potentially offensive ideas when you think about immigration and race.