A holiday home from home
THE idea of owning a second home is a dream for many, but the expense of buying – and then running – a holiday escape is beyond the means of most of us.
However, there is an affordable option: buying a holiday home in a purpose-built development where, because of how they are constructed, the properties are cheaper than traditional bricks-and-mortar ones.
West Point, a new holiday-home development near Selsey on the South Coast of England in West Sussex, provides such homes from £59,995.
Sited next to a beautiful beach – that stretches the full length of the development – and a newly established RSPB nature reserve, the homes have private parking, central heating, wraparound decking areas, optional hot tubs and panoramic views of the Solent, Isle of Wight and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.
Each of the two- and three-bedroom homes have double-glazing and modern appliances in their kitchens and bathrooms.
Although a distinctly separate gated community, West Point is part of the West Sands Bunn Leisure holiday park, which has bars, restaurants, takeaways, a leisure complex, hair and beauty facilities, and shops.
The city of Portsmouth is nearby, as are the cultural centres of Chichester and Arundel. Cosmopolitan Brighton is an hour away.
A step up in price are the lodges offered by Shorefield Holidays. Their collection at Merley Court Park near Wimborne Minster in Dorset starts from £169,995, although they also offer pre-owned homes at their Shorefield Country Park location near Milford on Sea in Hampshire from £25,995.
Medmerry Park, near West Wittering in West Sussex, has one and twobedroom holiday-home bungalows starting from just £5,500.
It’s not just southern England that has a monopoly on such homes. Berkeley Parks has residential ‘park homes’ at 50 locations in 21 counties, from Kent to Cumbria.
Meanwhile, Haulfryn has holiday-home parks – such as at The Warren in Abersoch, North Wales, and Finlake near Newton Abbot in South Devon – and residential parks, pointing out that while the residential ones are in quiet and rural locations, they are also not far from town centres and amenities.
They also say that at a number of sites homes can be sub-let, so the property can earn its keep and even and the number of people choosing to holiday or live in peaceful surroundings – is reflected in a recent survey showing that people want to move to rural areas. Stephanie McMahon, head of research at estate agents Strutt & Parker, said that many were looking for qualities that cities are struggling to offer. ‘The shift from cities is being driven by people looking for neighbourhood safety (86 per cent), and space between neighbours (58 per cent), as well as for a strong community feel (48 per cent),’ she said.