Holiday Home ‘Friends’ Stay and Save

You know the saying, ‘Keep your friends close, your enemies closer’? Well, bear it in mind if you owning a property abroad has suddenly made you very popular indeed amongst your circle of friends. In an eye-opening survey conducted by Barclays and YouGov, a staggering 13% of respondents admitted that they were only friendly with certain people in order to take advantage of their foreign property.

While reports confirm that international property purchasing has taken over from traditional stocks and shares as the most popular investment vehicle of choice, it seems that a fair few people out there are letting others part with their cash – so that they don’t have to! By staying in property for free owned by friends and family, British holidaymakers are thought to have saved a massive £4billion. According to the findings, 41% of people who travel abroad regularly stay in a flat or house owned by someone they know.

Unfortunately, despite doing all that saving, these British guests are pretty rubbish at showing their gratitude: 53% say thank you with only a small token, such as a card, a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates. Only 7% spend the value of what they have saved on accommodation on reciprocal gifts for their hosts. Nearly 30% of respondents even admitted to not washing the sheets before they left for home.

What’s even more alarming is that these ‘savvy’ holidaymakers admit to making themselves totally at home in their free accommodation, the holiday fever completely taking over. Some 44% of people eat some or all of the food they find in the house or flat, and 36% drink some or all of the alcohol left there by their owners. Own a holiday home abroad? Trust no one!