More than 1.5 million Brits own a second home

According to the UK Census 2011, over 1,57 million people living in England and Wales have a second address in a different local authority, the majority – 77 per cent – relating to the home addresses of students and the second addresses of children of separated parents, while 12 per cent of people with second addresses said they were for work.

Only 11 per cent – or 165,095 – stated that their second addresses in England and Wales were for the purpose of holidays.  A stark contrast with the more than 820,000 who prefer to have a second home outside the UK – the majority in Spain – where low prices and a weak euro mean there’s never been a better time to buy. This number incidentally does not include properties that are being rented out.