Timeshares vs Holiday Homes: Which is Right for You?
Many people who fancy a home away from home in the sun wind up buying into a timeshare, but these dream properties often aren’t all that they’ve cracked up to be.
Many people enter into timeshare agreements without quite realising what they’re getting into, being saddled with huge maintenance costs and trapped into a contract which they struggle to get out of.
So if you’re after a holiday property that you can visit every year, you may be better served investing in a holiday home and here’s why.
Maintenance Fees
One of the biggest issues that many people have with timeshares is the annual maintenance fees that have to be paid, regardless of whether you use the property that year or not.
These can be in the hundreds, or even thousands of pounds and can rise without notice at the timeshare company’s discretion.
For example, in this article from the Telegraph, a couple explain how their maintenance fees started at £200, rising to £400 and finally £1,000.
This is on top of the initial outlay for the property and often leaves the owners spending far more than they initially wanted to.
On the other hand, with your own privately owned holiday home, maintenance expenses are more under your own control.
Your Own Space
When you own your own holiday home, the space is yours to do with what you please, making changes based on your own tastes and generally making the property feel more homely.
On the other hand, with a timeshare, you can’t make any alterations to the property without the agreement of all of your fellow co-owners.
Ultimately, you can’t get away from the fact that a timeshare isn’t your own and, while you do own a stake in it, you’re ultimately sharing it with a group of other holidaymakers (as the name suggests!)
Resale Value
If you own your own holiday home, especially if it’s a nice property in a desirable location, the chances are that you’ll be able to sell it on for a profit or at least break even.
On the other hand, timeshares are notoriously hard to sell. Because of the negative associations that people have with timeshares, there are far more people looking to sell than there are looking to buy meaning many people are selling at huge losses, with some struggling to sell for as little as 99p!
Flexibility
Another big issue with timeshares is that you’re locked into a select period, which often can’t be swapped, meaning you have to plan your summer plans around your timeshare.
With your own place though, you have the freedom to visit however often and for as long as you want.
If you are convinced that a timeshare is the right option for you and are looking to purchase one, or perhaps are caught up in an agreement you want to get out of, we recommend speaking to the Timeshare Consumer Association who are industry experts offering independent advice.
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