Am I greedy to buy this property?

[MuckFusk]

I notice a lot of people on MN are down on owning vacation homes, and I get why that is, considering how short housing is and the population density in the UK. I'm in Canada (where it's very common to have a vacation home) and I just made an offer on a property which will be used probably four months out of the year. I felt it was a better option environmentally to travelling, as it is not far to drive to, so no plane travel needed. I plan to kit it out for sustainability just as I have my current home; high efficiency heat pump, insulation, etcetera. The major reason I bought it as a future income property for my disabled daughter, especially for when I am no longer living, but it will be a vacation home for awhile. I don't think I'm depriving anyone else of high demand home, because it's been sitting on the market for a month and is in an area with a glacially slow housing market right now.

However, I do wonder if I'm greedy to have more than one property when some people can't even afford one. So you can vote YABU if you think I shouldn't have it and YANBU if you think it's okay.
It might seem like a weird question, but I second guess myself a lot.

You should definitely buy it and you’re being an amazing mother to your daughter by helping her in this way.

I agree with the pp who suggested to offer it as a vacation property rental for people with mobility issues. It’s so difficult to find suitable properties to stay in as a wheelchair user. Many hotels are not fully accessible and Airbnbs are usually hopeless.

Agree.

OP, YANBU at all — and honestly, your post comes across as thoughtful, conscientious, and very un-greedy, if that’s even a word 😄
You’re clearly not just buying a second property for the sake of bragging rights or to make a quick profit. You’ve:
Chosen a location with a slow market — so you’re not snatching up housing stock in a high-demand area
Prioritised sustainability — no flights, high-efficiency systems, etc. Major kudos for the heat pump, by the way!
Planned for your daughter’s long-term security and income — which is something many parents would absolutely understand
Honestly, there’s a huge difference between someone buying ten flats in London to let out on Airbnb and a parent purchasing a single modest vacation property with future care and income in mind. If anything, you’re future-proofing and thinking very long-term. That’s wise, not selfish.
And the "holiday home guilt" some posters express on here tends to come from seeing places like Cornwall or the Lake District hollowed out, where locals can’t afford to stay — but what you’re doing isn’t that situation. If the house has been sitting unsold for ages, you’re not pushing anyone out.
Also: can we please stop making people feel bad for being careful, sensible, or lucky with money? You’re not buying a private island or a gold-plated Tesla. You’re just trying to build some stability for your family and enjoy a change of scenery without wrecking the planet.
So no, OP — you are absolutely NBU, and I’d be thrilled if more second-home owners were as considered and forward-thinking as you!

Let's flip the question, am I wrong for ensuring my disabled child has an income when I'm gone?
Very different responses is expect from the same action.

I will never be able to afford a holiday home but don't begrudge more fortunate people having one (or several!)

This. Who cares what the next person thinks. Buy it, enjoy it and live your life. Someone has to buy it and if those that need it can’t buy it, then why shouldn’t you. I can’t imagine caring this much about anyone else to not buy an investment property

I'm curious. How do well off people get public housing?

True. A lot of people just breezed on by that part of it. It's interesting to see the different reactions.

How lovely of you to say. Thank you.💐

I'm enjoying watching the number of posters who just ignore the details in order to condemn my decision. I do think they don't understand that it's nothing like what you are describing in the UK, but if they were paying attention they'd have seen it. So it must be just a knee-jerk response. Interesting to observe.

🩷 Thanks.
I am using the downstairs sitting room for my daughter. It's nice and big and has a separate entrance. There's a full bathroom next to it which will just need some hand gripping bars to make it suitable. She's not in a wheelchair, but she has trouble with stairs and getting in and out of the bath. I'll have to watch TV upstairs, but that's okay with me. I wonder if other families with disabled relatives might find that a bit limiting though. I can try offering it up through a local disabled advocacy group.

If people don't want to talk about holiday homes in Canada they can just pass the thread on by. It's not like I hid that fact, it's right in the top post.
The point of the thread is conversation. Anyone who doesn't want to be involved in this particular conversation doesn't have to be. Fair enough?

Yes, very true. I tend to have a lot of misplaced guilt, as you probably noticed.

Definitely agree.

True. I just have a bit of a guilt complex.

I did consider it, but those aren't exactly compatible with Canadian winters. They aren't insulated well enough for our climate, yet at the same time haven't got proper ventilation, so when you come back in the summer the place smells of mildew from the freeze/thaw cycle. I'm allergic to it. Thus they are difficult to find anyway because people avoid them.
Besides, what's the difference? It's still two properties, so if you think having two properties is greedy, why is that an exception?

Sorry, what does leashold mean? I'm not an expert with UK lingo.

It's funny you should say that because I don't know if this is my Spidey sense kicking in or just pattern recognition but I see a lot of threads that start off with a question that's quite controversial but ends with a very valid reason , so they may wonder why bother asking.

I'm not saying this is you, but it happens a lot.

Aibu for starting an affair despite being married for 20 years. Obviously this will get posters frothing but my husband who is a violent unfaithful alcoholic drug addict refuses to divorce me.

Or
Aibu for using the disabled toilets even though I'm not disabled? Again with the angry folk but fyi I went into labour a month before my due date and it was an emergency.

Some things require nuance ,common sense and are just so obvious - so of course the owning second holiday home with your particular circumstance doesn't need asking 🫶.

Yes, I've seen that too and have wondered if it was a wind up. In my case I'm just a guilt-ridden person wanting reassurance. 😄

Not that long, no. Other properties in the area have been on for four months, six months, even a year or more in some cases. It's not a hot market to say the least, which is why it's affordable.

All good points and I agree.

I have a holiday home in France. I used it a few weeks each year. I used to use it more when DC were younger. I let family and friends borrow it when they want to for no charge. I'm in the process of buying another small 2 bedroom seaside property in Withernsea. I'll probably use that more and will let it when friends and family don't want to use it. I don't think I'm greedy because I share with my family and friends at no cost. I really don't care what others think.

I hadn't thought of that aspect. Great point about renting a holiday place.

Yes, it's very much the way you say here. About half the people I know have a vacation home and it's not like I run in ritzy circles.

That sounds lovely. Good for you. If I had a house in France I would use the hell out of it. I guess Quebec is close enough to being in France.

Those are sensible policies given the situation there.

It definitely applies here in cities where housing is in great demand. For example, Toronto and Vancouver are two of the most expensive cities in the world. I'm not a city person so I wouldn't buy there even if I could afford it. The market in rural and small town Quebec is very different. Montreal has a robust market, but most of Quebec is still affordable.

That's been suggested and I will try to do that, though it won't be wanted in the winter. Nobody wants to be up in the boonies in winter unless they can ski. Winters are pretty miserable as I'm sure you can imagine.
I was going to offer it to a friend who was being evicted, but she found some people to share her rental.