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28/09/2006 09:38 AM - (SA) Trend: holiday houses are closer to home 29.09.2006
He says locally, hotel groups noted years ago a trend in domestic leisure, with breaks becoming shorter, averaging three to five days, whereas a decade ago they averaged between 10 and 14 days. "The trend is to have a number of short breaks a year, instead of the tradition of one long break over the main holiday season, due mainly to time-pressure," says Jawitz. Ease of access Jawitz Properties has noted that interestingly, this trend has also started to affect the purchasing of holiday homes, with more and more buyers looking to invest in a holiday home closer to their permanent residence. The main reason for this is of course ease of access. So by cutting down on travelling time, holiday houses are being purchased with the intention to use on a far more regular basis, instead of once or twice a year. "Another reason for this could of course be a security issue, as many people are reluctant to leave a house standing empty for months on end," explains Jawitz. Statistics that support this trend show that the main holiday destinations in each region are between one and three hours out of major city centres, with a higher resistance to buying further than three hours away. "This should be noted, especially for investor buyers who are looking to resell, as the demand for holiday homes closer to city centres becomes far greater. As example, small towns on the West Coast, such as Melkbosstrand, and areas such as Vermont can expect a good return on investment as this trend continues to drive interest and demand in years to come," says Jawitz. Coupled with this is the emerging trend of fractional title purchases. "Rather than investing in a holiday home which stands unoccupied for months on end, holiday home purchasers are choosing to purchase a fractional title in a property, taking a share in a long-term investment, and giving them access to a holiday home for a few weeks a year".
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