I DON’T think I would be alone if I were to say that, unlike last, this summer has felt much more ‘typical’ in the world of estate agency.

The seasonal climate has had an impact on the property market, with a lack of homes coming to the market as people are able to enjoy the spell of very good weather we have been experiencing.

Whilst August last year was an exceptionally busy month for agreed sales and September less so, the reverse appears to be true this year with a number of new properties coming onto the market at the beginning of September.

All of that aside, the British do enjoy a domestic holiday and, with a huge variety of locations to consider – the stunning Cotswolds with delightful chocolate box cottages in areas of outstanding natural beauty is a great contender.

Jackson-Stops’ latest research, which investigated the views of over 1,200 people, revealed that 54 per cent of British buyers still want to buy a holiday home in the UK despite the three per cent levy on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) for second homes.

Whilst the SDLT continues to be a challenge for the holiday homes market, over a fifth of respondents referenced an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK as their top destination for a holiday home, with five per cent choosing a UK town or city.

Just over a third of those surveyed would choose a holiday home in Europe, while interestingly, less than 11 per cent of respondents desired to purchase a holiday home outside of the UK or Europe.

Those looking to rent their UK holiday home out whilst it is not in use should look to traditional holiday destinations across the UK such as the Cotswolds and historic cities and popular coastal towns.

These areas are not only growing in popularity with UK holidaymakers with international holidayers being a familiar presence in the area for many years.

Tania Thompson Residential Sales Director Jackson-Stops Cirencester