Owning a Holiday Home in South Devon
There comes a moment, perhaps during your first, second, third, or even fourth summer in the same rental, the same town, retracing familiar walks down the beach or heading out on the same boat, when a question emerges. The conversation shifts from "Where shall we go this year?" or "When are we coming back?" to "What if we just had our own place here?" Anyone who has spent much time in South Devon will recognise this feeling: it’s hard to leave behind.
It's only right to mention that holiday homes are not a straightforward, easy subject around here. They bring life and spending to towns and villages, and for plenty of local businesses, this matters enormously. But they can also make things harder for people already trying to rent or buy somewhere to actually live all year round; in areas where housing is already competitive to begin with. Both these things can be true at once, and we would rather say so than pretend that the subject is simple black and white. So if you’ve already made up your mind about buying a South Devon escape, this is what it could actually look like and some little things you may want to know.
The first thing to work out is not which house, because we have a plethora of beautiful properties available, but how you actually want to live in it.
Some owners want a place that is entirely theirs; a place to visit once a month, or once a year, or for friends and family to stay in - either way, it’s a home that's always there for you when you fancy a Devon getaway. Although it is worth knowing that the South Hams applies a council tax premium on second homes, and empty properties still need someone keeping an eye on them, as well as semi-regular maintenance.
Others want their house to earn a little of its keep. A local holiday letting agent can take the whole thing off your hands so you don't need to worry at all; bookings, cleaning, changeovers, maintenance and the awkward phone calls when the guests lock themselves outside at midnight, all handled for a share of the rental income. It is an option for people who would rather the house worked for them in the background when they aren't using it, but you can still book yourselves and extended family in to stay whenever you’d like to.
Somewhere between this are the owners who manage their holiday home themselves or with the help of a local cleaner and a spare key, trading a bit of their own time for a bigger share of the income and a closer relationship with who is actually staying there. This option is great for keeping up with property maintenance, because you're able to keep an eye on what needs doing. And then, there are Airbnb owners, dipping in and out of the platform, blocking off a fortnight here and there, or allocating what months their property is available for let. Though it is worth checking any development or local planning/council rules allow before assuming what route is available or work for you.
Once that part is settled, the search tends to sort itself out; you’ve been to the place you’d like to buy in, you've visited the beaches, the restaurants and pubs, and you know how far you are from the local supermarket. For anyone who knows that the property they buy will be a holiday home from the outset, The Soar is worth starting with. Set on a gated estate above Soar Mill Cove, one of the finest and quietest coves in the country and only five minutes from Salcombe, its handful of Scandinavian-inspired homes (the Bigbury, the Bolberry and the Thurlestone) are built to feel like a proper retreat rather than a house that happens to be by the sea, with vaulted ceilings, wraparound windows and a log burner for the off-season. The leases run for 999 years with no council tax or stamp duty to pay, and owners have the option to sublet when they are not using the property themselves.
Plenty of owners are looking for something smaller and simpler: a lock‑up‑and‑leave bolthole where you can arrive with a bag, spend a long weekend by the sea, and leave again without a lawn to worry about. For that, think of 39 Fore Street in the heart of Salcombe, with views across the estuary. Or, for the purists, nothing quite beats the classic version of a South Devon holiday home, close enough to hear the water: somewhere along the Salcombe estuary or tucked above the beach at Thurlestone, like 3 Avon Quillet, perched on Folly Hill and looking over Bigbury and Bantham.
Others prefer the rhythm of a town or village, close to a good bakery and a pub that learns their names, while being just a short drive from the beach, like 7 Kings Court on Embankment Road in Kingsbridge, overlooking the estuary. And for those who would rather trade sea views for space and quiet, a barn conversion or farmhouse further inland offers the walking and riding country the South Hams is known for, with the coast still only a short drive away. The Old Dairy at Chilley Barns is the perfect lock‑up‑and‑leave property, almost evenly situated between all the major towns of Kingsbridge, Dartmouth, Totnes and Modbury, so the whole of the South Hams is your oyster.
Whichever you feel suits you best, the same conversation is worth having first: by whom, and how often will it be used? Get that right, and the rest tends to follow. Our team knows this stretch of coast and countryside in real detail, and is always happy to talk it through. Take a look at all our properties here.
It's only right to mention that holiday homes are not a straightforward, easy subject around here. They bring life and spending to towns and villages, and for plenty of local businesses, this matters enormously. But they can also make things harder for people already trying to rent or buy somewhere to actually live all year round; in areas where housing is already competitive to begin with. Both these things can be true at once, and we would rather say so than pretend that the subject is simple black and white. So if you’ve already made up your mind about buying a South Devon escape, this is what it could actually look like and some little things you may want to know.
The first thing to work out is not which house, because we have a plethora of beautiful properties available, but how you actually want to live in it.
Some owners want a place that is entirely theirs; a place to visit once a month, or once a year, or for friends and family to stay in - either way, it’s a home that's always there for you when you fancy a Devon getaway. Although it is worth knowing that the South Hams applies a council tax premium on second homes, and empty properties still need someone keeping an eye on them, as well as semi-regular maintenance.
Others want their house to earn a little of its keep. A local holiday letting agent can take the whole thing off your hands so you don't need to worry at all; bookings, cleaning, changeovers, maintenance and the awkward phone calls when the guests lock themselves outside at midnight, all handled for a share of the rental income. It is an option for people who would rather the house worked for them in the background when they aren't using it, but you can still book yourselves and extended family in to stay whenever you’d like to.
Somewhere between this are the owners who manage their holiday home themselves or with the help of a local cleaner and a spare key, trading a bit of their own time for a bigger share of the income and a closer relationship with who is actually staying there. This option is great for keeping up with property maintenance, because you're able to keep an eye on what needs doing. And then, there are Airbnb owners, dipping in and out of the platform, blocking off a fortnight here and there, or allocating what months their property is available for let. Though it is worth checking any development or local planning/council rules allow before assuming what route is available or work for you.
Once that part is settled, the search tends to sort itself out; you’ve been to the place you’d like to buy in, you've visited the beaches, the restaurants and pubs, and you know how far you are from the local supermarket. For anyone who knows that the property they buy will be a holiday home from the outset, The Soar is worth starting with. Set on a gated estate above Soar Mill Cove, one of the finest and quietest coves in the country and only five minutes from Salcombe, its handful of Scandinavian-inspired homes (the Bigbury, the Bolberry and the Thurlestone) are built to feel like a proper retreat rather than a house that happens to be by the sea, with vaulted ceilings, wraparound windows and a log burner for the off-season. The leases run for 999 years with no council tax or stamp duty to pay, and owners have the option to sublet when they are not using the property themselves.
Plenty of owners are looking for something smaller and simpler: a lock‑up‑and‑leave bolthole where you can arrive with a bag, spend a long weekend by the sea, and leave again without a lawn to worry about. For that, think of 39 Fore Street in the heart of Salcombe, with views across the estuary. Or, for the purists, nothing quite beats the classic version of a South Devon holiday home, close enough to hear the water: somewhere along the Salcombe estuary or tucked above the beach at Thurlestone, like 3 Avon Quillet, perched on Folly Hill and looking over Bigbury and Bantham.
Others prefer the rhythm of a town or village, close to a good bakery and a pub that learns their names, while being just a short drive from the beach, like 7 Kings Court on Embankment Road in Kingsbridge, overlooking the estuary. And for those who would rather trade sea views for space and quiet, a barn conversion or farmhouse further inland offers the walking and riding country the South Hams is known for, with the coast still only a short drive away. The Old Dairy at Chilley Barns is the perfect lock‑up‑and‑leave property, almost evenly situated between all the major towns of Kingsbridge, Dartmouth, Totnes and Modbury, so the whole of the South Hams is your oyster.
Whichever you feel suits you best, the same conversation is worth having first: by whom, and how often will it be used? Get that right, and the rest tends to follow. Our team knows this stretch of coast and countryside in real detail, and is always happy to talk it through. Take a look at all our properties here.