Owning a holiday home during the Covid summer of 2020……here’s what you need to know.


Here at The Viewing we have been chatting with some of our property owners and thought it would be helpful to share with you some of the benefits and considerations you will need to keep in mind this summer if you own a holiday home. There is no doubt that hotels lack a certain appeal for holidays this year with hand-sanitiser dispensers on every corner, staggered mealtimes and swimming pool time slots. Your own holiday home HOWEVER  is the perfect retreat. Relax by the pool with your ‘bubble’ for as many hours of the day as you wish with the maximum feeling of safety and isolation from others (and the virus). Yes you can go to local bars and restaurants but if this makes you nervous simply stay home, enjoying the 30 degree heat, wonderful views and alfresco living. 

In order to ensure your time at your holiday home is as pleasurable and relaxing as possible in 2020 here are some points you should keep in mind:-

  1. How are you going to get there? With daily flights reduced and some routes cut you may need to be more flexible on travel dates.  Many of our holiday home owners have told us, that despite the longer travel times, they are opting to drive to their second home giving them more certainty that they can get home should flights be cancelled or the area locked down again. 
  2. Your Staff - We know many of you have fantastic staff that make your experience at your holiday home all the more relaxing. Cleaners, daily housekeeping staff, a cook for those meals you can’t be bothered to cook, gardeners, pool maintenance guys etc. Be aware that some of these staff may be uncomfortable coming into your property, particularly if you have travelled from a country with a higher infection rate, and/or may still be under the local furlough scheme so unable to work. 
  3. Your Neighbours and The Locals - For many, one of the key draws to owning a second home overseas is enjoying the local lifestyle and integrating with the locals – coffees and aperitifs in the local bar, chatting in the street with friends you see just a few times a year. This summer you may need to take a more prudent approach to mingling with the locals.  We are getting reports from a number of our property owners that they have received word that some holiday destinations are very nervous of the influx of holiday home owners  and the risk of them bringing the virus with them. It is therefore possible you could feel negative vibes when out and about.  Make sure you take extra care to keep your distance when shopping and in bars and restaurants and wear a mask as much as possible. 
  4. Renting out your house? If you usually rent out your property during the weeks that you are not at the house yourselves you’ll probably find you have some long awaited rental bookings starting to trickle through. It’s advisable to check with your local town hall of revised guidance on cleaning obligations and paperwork required in order to receive guests. In some countries a deep sanitising clean of the property is required between guests with certificate issued and submitted to the town hall. 

We hope you find the above points useful, follow these and you are sure to have a wondeful and much-needed holiday. If you are the owner of a dreamy holiday home there is no doubt that you are in the most fortunate of positions to be able to escape to sunshine and relaxation. If however you don’t already own a holiday home now is the time to start your search so why don't you browse some stunning luxuury overseas homes on www.the-viewing.com