Three reasonably-priced "holiday" homes to do up

Last week I got a bit uppity about second homes and holiday lets. And yet, I still find myself being drawn to properties that have "escape to the country" stamped into their original stone fronts.

Such as this one. Three-bedroomed Ivy Cottage in Ingleton, on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. Downstairs is a large sitting room and kitchen, plus separate loo (best not to look too closely), pantry, and a good-size, integrated workshop.

Upstairs are three decent-size bedrooms and a slice of bathroom. There's a large, walled front garden and small garden space at the back, and the property is tucked away down a quiet lane off Main Street.

On the market through Neil Wright Associates at offers over £220k. Details and lots more pictures here and on Rightmove here.

Rather further afield is this lovely, four-bedroom house on the community-owned Isle of Gigha. 

It comes with over two acres of land and a tidy, if dilapidated, set of outbuildings. 

Lots of potential; lots of breathing space. You'll see the weather arrive.

Rooms are a decent size and, aside from having a rather institutional feel, already have a lot of the good stuff (heating, double-glazing) in place in many. 

Gigha itself is a really interesting - and beautiful - place to live with a strong community ethos. Somewhere to put down roots perhaps, rather than only holiday?

Anyway, the Kinnererach property is on the market through SBS Property at offers over £195k. Details and more pictures here and on Rightmove here.

My third and final pick today could never compete with Kinnererach in terms of space and outlook, but its a cute - and cheap - property in a pretty and much more accessible village location.

The Old Post House is in Millhousebridge, around five miles from Lockerbie. It has three bedrooms (one would make more sense as another reception room or part of an extended kitchen), bathroom, living room and kitchen.

There's a small front garden and the rear leads straight out onto a little residential street, overlooking fields.

At roughly 86sqm, it's "bijou" and the lack of a private garden may be an issue, but the house is in lovely, quiet location with plenty of countryside and walks from the door.

And, as mentioned, at offers over £105k, it's a good price for a first step into second-homing.

On the market through Strutt & Parker, details and more pictures here and on Rightmove here.

Two chapels, a church and a lesson

Going to the chapels..... Starting with a duo of Moors cuties. Teeny, limited land (because that's usual with chapels) but oh so pretty.

Smallest first - this chapel is in the gorgeous village of Gillamore, within the North York Moors National Park and around three miles from the market town of Kirbymoorside.

The chapel is basically one tall room, with a disabled loo and a sink placed to the side. There's no planning permission in place (hence its £60k guide price) and permission to turn it into a home would be subject to a local occupancy/principal residence clause because it would count as new home, and to proving it's no longer viable as church.

On the market through Peter Illingworth at offers over £60k, details here.

Let's take a moment. Obviously, 'Wreck..' is about saving rundown or unwanted properties and turning them into much-loved homes for families. It's why I started the blog. 

But also obviously, a great many of properties I feature will become second homes and holiday lets. I recognise that's in the nature of my focusing on cute and country much of the time. But I'm not completely comfortable with it. 

On the one hand, a home that's loved and used even part of the year is better than one left empty or falling down. On the other, the gap between the multiple home owners and those unable to buy any home is growing each year and the imbalance in the home ownership in the UK, particularly between the generations, is a failure of democratic willingness to invest in our children.

Find more statistics at Statista

In 2019-20, just over half of UK households lived in a home they owned. But they were older (average age 58) and richer (54% owned their home outright) than their social renting (average age 53) or private renting (average age 41) neighbours. And their renting neighbours were overwhelmingly unlikely to buy - 81% or private renters and 93% of social renters hadn't considered applying for a mortgage to buy their own home, according to the government's English Housing Survey. 

So, I don't have problem with local authorities who set rules on limiting second home ownership in some of those cute and country areas. But the planning rule that restricts the residential development of the Gillamore chapel (and the one below) to local occupancy is blown out by central government guidelines which prioritise redevelopment of properties into holiday lets for "economic growth". Hence, rural planning officers are expected to: 

support the conversion and re-use of appropriately located and suitably constructed existing buildings in the countryside (particularly those adjacent or closely related to towns or villages) for economic development. [EC6.2.c]

What that means is it's easier for you to turn your chapel into a holiday let than your holiday home. 

Let's move on. 

Also in a pretty North York Moors village is this chapel in Appleton le Moors. Very similar to Gillamoor, pretty place, good pub nearby, tourism hotspot and small chapel sitting on tiny bit of land (Gillamoor had a strip at the back: Appleton a strip at the front).

Pretty windows and possibly more attractive on the inside, but do make sure you know which of those lovely pews and fixtures (if any) are included in the sale, and agree what will happen if damage is caused in removing pews and fittings.

The chapel has power but no mains water or drainage (hence the cheaper price) and is also on the market through Peter Illingworth. Offers over £40k, details here.

My final pick is also in North Yorkshire, albeit further south and a church rather than a chapel. It also has a LOT more space - inside and out - and potential to become a substantial home.

All Saints Church is in the village of Whitley, around six miles from Pontefract and ten from Goole. One large (158sqm) double-height room, with a porch entrance and pretty apse area, plus services connected (heating is LPG, via tank). Stone floor, slate roof, gorgeous stone details and windows.

There's a large grassed area to the front, setting it back from Selby Road/the A19, and another good-sized grassed area to the rear, backing onto fields. 

Guide price is £185k, for sale via Walker Singleton in Halifax. Details and more pictures here.