I didn’t come from a family that ever had a holiday home. As a child, we moved around a lot. Sometimes we lived in flats, sometimes we house-sat for other people and then eventually we acquired one home, the home we lived in together.
When you’re a child, you don’t really think about how things will net out as you grow up. I do remember lying in bed, wondering whether I’d be a famous actress like the women in Charlie’s Angels or a newsreader. I certainly thought I’d have time on my hands and that my children would have left home (I had them in my 40s so they’re still here).
But what I didn’t think was that I’d be surrounded by friends who’d have more than one home. Who needs two houses? And in some cases three. Once I got into my 50s, this thing of friends having holiday homes just started happening.
I didn’t notice it at first. I guess I wasn’t privy to the conversations about buying these homes, how they could afford it and how these secondary residences were probably going to be of a similar size to my actual home. I had an old friend who came over recently, and she announced: “This place would make a charming holiday cottage!” She thought it was a compliment, implying it was homely and relaxing, but it left me rattled. Having your main place of residence compared to a seaside hideaway can make even the most confident homeowner feel status anxiety.
