Personal touches make having your own holiday home homely - living room of lodge for sale at Waveney River Centre
There’s a lot of research, including some by the people at Furniture Village, about what makes a house a home.
What’s interesting is that the things that we love about our homes sound amazingly similar to why we love having our own holiday homes. Read on - you’ll see what we mean.
Bedroom interior of the Carlton Lodge holiday home at Broadlands Park & Marina
1. Sleeping in your own bed
Sleep in your own bed in your Suffolk holiday home by the sea.
It seems that sleeping in your own bed is something that makes a house a home. Tick that box for your own holiday home too.
You could say that having hotel staff make your bed for you is a holiday bonus, but is it really? Who needs the unpredictability of comfort - or not - when you can guarantee the softness - or firmness - of your own bed in your own holiday home. So you have to shake a duvet into place in the morning. Is that such a big deal compared to knowing you can snuggle in to your own bed at the end of a hard day doing nothing?
2. Family photos make holiday memories
Many photo opportunities at Mablethorpe Park or Caldecott Hall Country Park.
Having family photos around us make us feel we have a home. No matter how digital we get, we still love a photo in a frame. When it comes to having your own holiday home, this is dream ticket territory!
You might have a caravan at Mablethorpe Park or a caravan at Caldecott Hall Country Park, but whether your holiday home is in Lincolnshire or Norfolk, one thing is certain - you’re making memories every time you’re there. And cherishing those memories by framing them isn’t something you can do in a hotel room or an Airbnb is it? You can make your holiday home a real home from home with finishing touches like photos.
3. A bookshelf filled with your own books
Brilliant at Broadlands Park and Marina or wherever you have your UK holiday home
There’s a saying that books make the best wallpaper. They do make a good backdrop - remember those lockdown Zoom calls where suddenly everyone you knew seemed to live in library? But, having your own books around you creates a lovely homely feeling. It’s something else you can have in your own UK holiday home that you can’t have in a Spanish hotel room.
Books in your holiday home a great idea for several reasons.
First off, and obviously, you can stock up on holiday reads. Racy blockbusters or serious stuff - it’s your choice. Secondly, you can collect books about the area; it could be the history of the Norfolk Broads, or books about local birdwatching. Plus, a well stocked bookshelf is a real bonus for family and friends when they stay. If you make some extra income by letting out your holiday home, it’s a seriously attractive part of presenting your place too.
4. Location, location, location
North Denes in Suffolk or Redcar Beach in North Yorkshire; location is everything.
The feeling is that one of the things we love most about our homes is the location. No surprise then that location, location, location (sorry - it was irresistible) is key when it comes to choosing a holiday home, and vital to making it feel like home. Deciding to have your own UK holiday home gives you a massive choice of locations. From North Denes in Suffolk to Redcar Beach in North Yorkshire, from South Shore in East Yorkshire to Mablethorpe Park in Lincolnshire - there are places to see and plenty of things to do, making them prime locations for holiday homes.
The UK is rich in countryside and seaside scenery. Every year more and more of us discover more and more of it. With international travel still something of a lottery and an increasing awareness of the need to reduce our carbon footprint by racking up fewer air miles, we’re turning to the UK as the go to choice for holidaying. With the need to manage our finances better for the long term the idea of owning a UK holiday home comes into even sharper focus. So go look. The holiday home locations are there just waiting for you.
Caravans at North Denes, the UK’s most easterly caravan park - plots available for you to bring your static caravan
5. Natural Light
North Denes, Suffolk is where the sun comes up first - grab that natural light.
Natural light is something that features high on the list things that people like about their homes. It’s another of those magical elements that turn a residence into a home. So it’s only natural that natural light is something you cherish in your holiday home. No amount of dimmer switches and gadgets can turn the strip lights of an enclosed hotel room into the glory of a sunrise.
North Denes is the UK’s most easterly caravan park, so as a location for your holiday home it’s perfect. It’s where the sun comes up first. But all over the country, from Suffolk to Yorkshire, beautifully located holiday homes are enjoying the natural light, and spreading some light into our lives.
Choose a UK holiday home and you’re choosing a sound financial investment and an environmentally sensitive option. On top of that you’re investing in the future. The future for you and your family and friends. When you have somewhere to go to, somewhere that’s special, you can make it feel more homely.
It’s not about replicating your home somewhere else. You want to get away! But you do want to create the welcome and warmth that makes a place uniquely yours. Those five reasons why we love our homes do look pretty good as reasons for having your own UK holiday home, don’t they?
The top 20 things that make a house into a home:
Furniture Village
Sleeping in your own bed
Family photos
A place on the sofa
Memories made in the home
A fridge full of food
A bookshelf filled with my books
The smell of freshly cooked food
Freshly washed bedsheets
The location
Natural light
Plants
A dining table
My kids in the house
Fresh towels
Flowers in vases
Candles
A fireplace
Having the bed made
A large TV
Blankets and throws