anyone got a second home?

[secondhome]

Being quite ancient I am soon to pay off my mortgage and am considering taking out another and buying a seafront flat in aplace I love , not too far from where I live.I have always wanted a flat overlooking the sea. I would not rent it. it would be for weekends and holidays.

Anyone done something similar?

Is there a big hassle factor?

All views appreciated.

We have other properties but not a holiday home. We were thinking of buying one, but on the basis of my sister's experience I have seriously gone off the idea.

Lots of hassle, lots of expense, and it's awfully boring going to the same place all the time. Oh, and all your friends and relatives will think you run a free hotel/holiday property company.

can all the people that reply yes they have second homes in cornwall.please come and pay some of my council tax.

Not a second home but we just bought a timeshare in Scotland. We live in England and all our family are in Scotland so it means we can spend more time up there in the summer without having to impose on anyone.

Anna can you tell me more about the downside your sister experienced?

I have house in Cornwall Cheesesarnie, but it's rented out whilst we're abroad.

She now feels she has to spend at least two months a year to justify the costs involved of having a second property. It is very hard to maintain from a distance without incurring massive expenses and every time she goes there she incurs huge setup costs (money, time and energy) restocking the larder, cleaning, putting the heating on etc. Dealing with breakdowns, a burglar etc has been very tiresome and expensive. People want to come to stay and have a free holiday and it is really hard to juggle all the coming and going.

I could go on. Honestly, I think my sister adored buying up a ruin and doing it up but hates the maintenance side. And she gets bored when she is there - as do her three children - as it is in the middle of nowhere.

I echo Anna's sister's experience tbh- it is immensely time consuming, and costly.
The travelling, the maintenance, the people expecting free holidays, the bills (energy and telephone, and council tax, and water, and often service charge).
If it is somewhere close to where you live already, that you truly love then maybe it is for you. For us the distance and costs were too great.
Perhaps it would work better if you bought with a sibling? I know a family who have a holiday home in Wales between 4 of them (siblings) and that works reasonably well as they all have children, who enjoy a seaside holiday fairly frequently.
With 4 of them the duties are shared, and the costs- though you have to be quite organised, and agree lots of things up-front.