Ground floor flat holiday home - pros and cons?

[Sidesaladofchips]

Starting to begin searching for a holiday home which we may use as a holiday let for some of the time, but either way means the property won't be fully occupied. My preference would be a ground floor flat for ease of access (we have a 3 year old). I have seen some lovely ones but fearful of security - the ones we've seen so far that are lovely have lots of windows going all around one or two sides of a block of flats so potential for opportunistic break-ins are high, as well as people accidentally the windows open. I should add that we would be about a 2 hour drive away so not local enough to periodically check on it.

What do people think of security and risk of break-in etc? Do the benefits of having a ground floor flat outweigh potential security risks and added stress?

Good problem to have I know!

TIA

I had a ground floor flat that was burgled. When the police came I said the upstairs people were away (my flat was only empty gircsn hour snd a half). The police responded that its far less common for a first floor to get done.
Unless you get a garden with the ground floor flat amd don't really see the advantage. Your three year old can handle a flight or two of stairs now and will easily in a year or two, and if you are still using a stroller just use a lightweight folding one.

An upstairs flat would possibly be better in terms of security, but I'd always want a holiday home to have outside space, so that's sometimes take into consideration if it's important to you.

A ground floor flat isn't really any more risk than a house, apart from the possibility of windows being open at night in rooms people are sleeping in, and you can get limiters to stop them being opened too wide.

I think you need to decide if you will be letting it or keeping it as a private holiday home, both have different risks and requirements. If a ground floor flat comes with a garden I would see it as an advantage, I wouldn’t buy it based on your 3 yr olds access needs if that makes sense? Ground floor is probably an easier target, especially if it is obviously unoccupied for long periods. Would you hire a local cleaner or do that yourself?

The majority of flats do not allow holiday let's in the lease so be careful.

You may get away with it, but if someone complains it can be enforced and your plans are scuppered.

Personally I really don’t like ground floor bedrooms, because of the security issue. I like windows open at night, especially in summer, and not just a crack.

It was not a holiday home,, but when looking with dd for a flat for her to buy, the first essential she told EAs was nothing on the ground floor - for the same reasons. She’d been sharing a GF flat where the bedroom window didn’t open at all, and hated it.