Holiday homes cause problems in rural areas

Holiday homes are still creating problems of affordability for people who live in rural or coastal areas, according to one expert.

Nicholas Leeming, the co-founder of property-finder.com, says that local communities find that property prices are pushed up by wealthy investors which means family members cannot buy within villages.

But he added that the wealth coming into these parts also enhances the area by increasing its affluence and supporting its infrastructure.

"It certainly has a knock-on effect in the area and I think one of the concerns for the traditional rural economies is that as the agricultural economy decline, then they are less able to compete with the new money, or holiday money, coming in to certain areas," said Mr Leeming.

He added that this problem is not universal and much of the West Country remains unaffected by incoming wealthy families and that many of the families internally migrate due to high prices in London.


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