Research by insurance provider, Schofields, found that those with second properties in the UK averaged just two visits per year, compared to holiday home owners abroad who visited theirs an average of three times per year.

Three quarters of the 1,212 holiday home owners polled said they would like to visit their second property more frequently.

The top reasons holding them back were work commitments (37%), personal/family commitments (33%), finances (25%), wanting to maximise guest bookings (17%) and time constraints (7%).

Over half, 52%, of those polled allowed visitors to their second home throughout the year.

Of these, 33% claimed to have discovered damage to their property and furnishings, which was not admitted to by the guest.

Furthermore, 82% claimed to be concerned about the state of their home, or any unknown damage, as a direct result of not visiting their home enough.

Despite this, 73% of respondents said their holiday home was “good value for money” and 85% did not regret their purchase.

Phil Schofield, a spokesperson for Schofields Holiday Home Insurance, said:
“It’s often the case that holiday home owners don’t, in reality, get the chance to visit their second properties as much as they’d like, which can be very difficult to digest when you compare it to the cost of your second home purchase.

“The simple fact is that life quite often just gets in the way, yet one of the most interesting results of the study was the fact that the lack of visitation often leaves damage to the home unnoticed or unreported.”