Shortage of homes

Graham_Devon

Seeing this banded around a lot at the moment.

Was just wondering, as I live in a place with quite a few holiday homes, what are peoples thoughts on this?

Were not talking chalets, we are talking full blown houses which are occupied maybe max 3 months a year. There are many management companies who will "look after" these for you while they are unoccupied.

In parts of Cornwall, whole villages have turned into purely holiday home areas. Of course, these are investment vehicles too.

In an ideal world, i.e. your world, should something be done about this? I.e. impose some sort of extra tax on hliday homes? Or would you prefer to let people do what they want without being taxed if they can afford to do so?

I doubt the shortgage of homes would be a problem so much down here if just 75% of holiday homes were given up and those people just rented a chalet or hotel like the rest of us.

Just looking for thoughts really, as it appears I'm becoming a bit of a socilist hippy with my views towards housing and using housing as investments / having second, thrid etc homes. Wanna know if I'm on my own!

Yes, I do think there should be some sort of heavy taxing or other dissinsentive involved in holiday homes. Purely because it has ruined whole areas around here and left my generation with no hope of buying, let alone buying in their own area. You have people desperate for homes, and people with multiple homes that are used 25% of the year. Silly, or fair?

Cleaver

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Was just wondering, as I live in a place with quite a few holiday homes, what are peoples thoughts on this?

I personally have no objection to you living wherever you want Graham.

PasturesNew

What is unfair is that I want a holiday home and am too tight to buy one because of the service charges on caravans/chalets ... £3k/year. No wonder people bought a house, it seems cheaper, less restrictive, a better bet all round.

As to GD's actual question: I'm not thinking at the moment, so no idea.

Cleaver

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Yes, I do think there should be some sort of heavy taxing or other dissinsentive involved in holiday homes. Purely because it has ruined whole areas around here and left my generation with no hope of buying, let alone buying in their own area. You have people desperate for homes, and people with multiple homes that are used 25% of the year. Silly, or fair?

My Dad owns a holiday home in the UK and, until my Mum passed away, they spent 3 or 4 days a week down there as they worked part time.

I know what you mean about the morals of the situation, it is a difficult one. However, they would probably spend more in the local pubs, restaurants and other local shops than a lot of the locals would. I think they were also quite conscious of the fact that they were 'intruders' in some way, so made sure they put back in to the community by attending local events, volunteering, helping out etc.

My Dad's place is situated in an area that isn't awash with holiday homes though, so maybe the effect isn't as bad in that area as it is in others. I've heard stories of villages in Cornwall and Devon half empty in the winter, which must be devastating for local businesses.

Graham_Devon

3 or 4 days a week is slightly different to what I was thinking, i.e. using a management company to keep it all ticking over while you are not there 9 months of the year.

It's still using 2 homes instead of one, but at least it WAS actually used!

CLAPTON

so lets see

if people just rented a holiday chalet, presumably they would mainly be used in the peak holiday seasons (summmer, school holidays etc)

a bit like holiday homes

so rather than individuals owning holiday homes, instead we would have big business owning lots of chalets

of course we could ban holiday homes and chalets and allow local people to have the properties instead.

probably be a shortage of jobs but no matter they could all live on social security instead.

just a thought .....

Graham_Devon

The difference there though is you can't live in the chalets.

Well, I spose you could, if you were willing to get out for a month or so a year while the park shuts down for maintanance. But the point of the chalet is for holidays. You can buy chalets on these parks if you wish.

bigheadxx

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Seeing this banded around a lot at the moment.

Was just wondering, as I live in a place with quite a few holiday homes, what are peoples thoughts on this?

Were not talking chalets, we are talking full blown houses which are occupied maybe max 3 months a year. There are many management companies who will "look after" these for you while they are unoccupied.

In parts of Cornwall, whole villages have turned into purely holiday home areas. Of course, these are investment vehicles too.

In an ideal world, i.e. your world, should something be done about this? I.e. impose some sort of extra tax on hliday homes? Or would you prefer to let people do what they want without being taxed if they can afford to do so?

I doubt the shortgage of homes would be a problem so much down here if just 75% of holiday homes were given up and those people just rented a chalet or hotel like the rest of us.

Just looking for thoughts really, as it appears I'm becoming a bit of a socilist hippy with my views towards housing and using housing as investments / having second, thrid etc homes. Wanna know if I'm on my own!

Yes, I do think there should be some sort of heavy taxing or other dissinsentive involved in holiday homes. Purely because it has ruined whole areas around here and left my generation with no hope of buying, let alone buying in their own area. You have people desperate for homes, and people with multiple homes that are used 25% of the year. Silly, or fair?

In our part of Wales some houses have a special covenant in the deeds stating that the house can only be sold to a local person. (someone who has lived in the area for 3 years or has a strong local connection.) We had to prove family connections in order to buy the house.

I dont really agree with this, people should not have this mentallity its not healthy for generations of the same family to grow up in the same village and marry the girl next door!

mewbie_2

bigheadxx wrote: »

I dont really agree with this, people should not have this mentallity its not healthy for generations of the same family to grow up in the same village and marry the girl next door!

No need to knock Norfolk.

Graham_Devon

bigheadxx wrote: »

marry the girl next door!

Dunno, depends on the "girl next door", surely

bigheadxx

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Dunno, depends on the "girl next door", surely

Might already be your cousin!