When Rebecca Tidy, 35, bought a property in a dreamy Cornwall seaside village, she expected to be welcomed with open arms. Unfortunately, the locals had other plans.
Rebecca splashed out on the home, located near the picturesque St Mawes, three years ago. Originally from London, she purchased it as a long-term investment to rent out to vacationers.
Rebecca Tidy bought a cottage in St Mawes, Cornwall, but the locals didn’t exactly welcome her with open arms
Image credits: Rebecca Tidy
Thanks to the earnings from the rental, she can afford to pay the substantial mortgage on her London home.
However, soon after her purchase, she noticed that villagers began to complain about her forcing up local house prices.
“Tourism brings much-needed income, so you’d think people would welcome second-home owners with open arms. But that’s far from the case,” the single mother explained.
She purchased the “run-down, abandoned” house and renovated it to rent it out to vacationers
Image credits: Dr Rebecca Tidy
“One awful man shouted at me in one shop after overhearing me asking for oat milk. He told me to ‘f**k off back to London’ if I wanted ‘that posh s**t’.”
She continued: “He went on to say I was forcing up local house prices by renovating a place in the village.”
While she knew how “controversial” the topic of second-home owners was in Cornwall, she never expected her decision to be met with such criticism.
Soon after her arrival, the locals began calling her “haughty” and telling her to “f*** off back to London”
Image credits: Dr Rebecca Tidy
Image credits: Greg Willson
“My frosty attitude stems from the fact I’m sick to death of defending my actions to parochial locals who constantly whinge about ‘outsiders’ buying houses.”
This hostility, she believes, stems from a negative preconception about Londoners.
“Too many Cornish residents jump to the conclusion that all second-home owners are rich. Yet I’m no six-figure earner. I’m just a hard worker.”
During the pandemic, Rebecca took the time to renovate the cottage, which included removing an outdated kitchen and bathroom
Image credits: Dr Rebecca Tidy
During lockdown, Rebecca took the time to renovate the abandoned cottage. She plastered the walls, fixed aging wooden windows, and removed an outdated kitchen and bathroom by herself.
She prioritized upgrading the old cottage to create an additional source of income instead of using the funds to renovate the property she lives in with her toddler in the English capital.
And still, the locals have called her “haughty” countless times.
“I upgraded the house to an impossibly high standard, even though I have no money to renovate the property I live in with my child”
Image credits: Dr Rebecca Tidy
The Londoner thinks that those who point their fingers at her fail to see the hard work and sacrifice she has made to buy the cottage.
In contrast, the “moaners”, as she calls them, “believe they’re too good to get their hands dirty.”
“They criticize me while overlooking the fact that they could’ve bought the property and fixed it up themselves,” Rebecca said.
The single mom uses the rental money to cover the substantial mortgage on her London home
Image credits: Dr Rebecca Tidy
Additionally, she pointed out that several workers in Cornwall depend on tourism as a primary source of income.
While many slam her for renting out her property, they still benefit from people visiting the city’s famous beaches during the peak vacation season.
“Visitors to the county are viewed as a cash cow. Locals milk us for ridiculous amounts of money whether it’s overpriced building work or £19-a-portion fish and chips.”
While some people supported Rebecca, others sided with the local Cornish people
I just read all the comments on the original article. Apparently she is a reporter for The Sun and has never spoken to a single local. She made up all the things people are supposedly saying about her to get a story. Yes, they hate the housing prices being driven up but could not give a f**k about her specifically. And to answer my own question below, she does claim to have done all the renovation work by herself. I do find that a bit hard to believe as well.
She's a freelance journalist and gets some articles published in The Sun but also Daily Mail. So quality papers... ../s
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Tourism only brings income to the locals if they are the ones receiving the rent. Also people renting holiday houses typically do their own cooking and just go out to eat a few times. But in return the housing market goes up.
We often rent flats on holiday, but our spending is still through the roof! Sure, some cooking ourselves - but the groceries are from the local store of course. And, always restaurants, shops, souvenirs, petrol, bars, activities, equipment rentals, transport, museums, etc etc. And if there's e.g. a good car or beauty service at good price, we'll happily take care of that at the holiday location instead of home. Holiday rentals also require maintenance, cleaning, etc - by local workers. Of course it's no good if all housing is turned to rentals, but that's a lot of money coming in - lot more than a local spends in that same time. It's only smart to be at the receiving end.
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"I upgraded the house to an impossibly high standard". That kitchen and bathroom is a high standard there?
Especially with that cabinet door that opens directly into the wall shelf 🤦🏻♀️
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What's with the duck face selfies? And what's with BP classifying this idiotic whinging Londoner's opinions as "news"?
I thought I was the only one who was maddened by that.
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F this b. I too live in a town where posh twats from somewhere or other (most often the cities like London) are buying up empty properties and turning them into holiday rentals. Meanwhile, people who actually live here are priced out and/or forced to move elsewhere because there isn't enough available housing.
I would suggest you re-think your hate, does it really benefit you? If you cannot afford to buy a property and someone can, is it really that other person's fault? Shouldn't you blame e.g. the economic situation due to crappy politicians, or your employer who doesn't pay you enough? And perhaps do something about those situations? Or you could blame the seller - or, you could also be positive: happy for the local seller who got rid of the empty property that no local could buy, and got some income? Best of all, lose the hate, use the energy for something constructive, like out of the box ideas: e.g. pool your money and buy the empty property yourselves; turning it into a holiday rental? Or start some business that profits from holidaymakers? People away from home spend heaps of money! And they are not the enemy anyway. (BTW not a londoner, nor a homeowner myself - 1st or 2nd. Just worried about all the hate.)
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Yup, sorry, no sympathy. If she'd moved to the area, that's one thing. She literally came in with her money, scooped up a property and now gets to charge absurdly high rent to tourists she knows will pay because the area is beautiful. Meanwhile, the locals suffer from the gentrification. Wales has been having a 'second home' crisis the last few years for exactly the same reason.
Of course she needs pulling up about this, as does everyone who buys a second home in a desirable area and then complains that they don't have a shop / pub / doctor / friends within a 20 mile + radius. Stop second home ownership (this is by far and away the main reason for the decline of reasonably priced hotels in places like Cornwall ). I once had a blazing row with a stuck up cow who'd bought a second home in Somerset and was whinging on to her bunch of equally stuck up chums that she couldn't find a cleaner despite paying 50p over the minimum wage - I did get somewhat fruity with my counter argument and eventually asked her to leave the hotel - I was the manager and, thankfully, the owner of the hotel agreed with my stance and kept me on, she and her chums, however, were banned for life. The house went on sale later that year. People who but second homes do NOT contribute anything but a tiny, tiny amount to a local economy and will, of course always attract hatred and opprobrium.
She say's that the locals could have bought the property. Probably not, Airbnb is converting the residential areas into tourist areas. Places that were property has gone up 50% where I live because of investors from outside buying at over market prices because they are not interested in living only making a profit.
Tourists do need somewhere to stay, but it should be in manned hotels, or manned b and bs. It doesn't always need to be an actual home, or and air b and b. If people invested in doing up hotels and b and bs then they'd be living there full time as well and contributing more to the local area whilst not taking up housing amd charging it out at a ludicrous price.
Landlords must have downvoted this comment. You're correct.
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-says she renovated a nice new house while unable to afford to renovate her own. Nutjob.
Shelves have angled edges to allow door clearance. Still a little too close though.
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Must be nice to be able to afford two places. Meanwhile in AZ the medium house price is now over 400k. An article in realtor said the main home buyers right now are average 58. Idk how younger gens are supposed to live.
Some people have really fkd up priorities. She bought a house and spent all of her money doing it up to rent out to pay the mortgage on the London property she lives in with her child. Her home, which she says she hasn’t repaired / redecorated because she spent all her money on the rental property. And all her time too if anyone believes that she plastered it herself and plumbed in a new bathroom and kitchen. Why not spend that money on the home she is raising her child in like most parents? Like I said, fkd up priorities.
Lived in Cornwall 10 years,housing is so competitive as it's really sparse,and rent is expensive. St Mawes is a tiny village and seeing a house the locals can't afford, sitting empty when there's no tourists must be really frustrating. Also Cornwall is full of health conscious hipsters,there's definitely oat milk 😂
Did she pay people to renovate it or do all the work herself? The wording seems like she did it herself but the work is really well done. It confused me
I just read all the comments on the original article. Apparently she is a reporter for The Sun and has never spoken to a single local. She made up all the things people are supposedly saying about her to get a story. Yes, they hate the housing prices being driven up but could not give a f**k about her specifically. And to answer my own question below, she does claim to have done all the renovation work by herself. I do find that a bit hard to believe as well.
She's a freelance journalist and gets some articles published in The Sun but also Daily Mail. So quality papers... ../s
Load More Replies... Tourism only brings income to the locals if they are the ones receiving the rent. Also people renting holiday houses typically do their own cooking and just go out to eat a few times. But in return the housing market goes up.
We often rent flats on holiday, but our spending is still through the roof! Sure, some cooking ourselves - but the groceries are from the local store of course. And, always restaurants, shops, souvenirs, petrol, bars, activities, equipment rentals, transport, museums, etc etc. And if there's e.g. a good car or beauty service at good price, we'll happily take care of that at the holiday location instead of home. Holiday rentals also require maintenance, cleaning, etc - by local workers. Of course it's no good if all housing is turned to rentals, but that's a lot of money coming in - lot more than a local spends in that same time. It's only smart to be at the receiving end.
Load More Replies... "I upgraded the house to an impossibly high standard". That kitchen and bathroom is a high standard there?
Especially with that cabinet door that opens directly into the wall shelf 🤦🏻♀️
Load More Replies... What's with the duck face selfies? And what's with BP classifying this idiotic whinging Londoner's opinions as "news"?
I thought I was the only one who was maddened by that.
Load More Replies... F this b. I too live in a town where posh twats from somewhere or other (most often the cities like London) are buying up empty properties and turning them into holiday rentals. Meanwhile, people who actually live here are priced out and/or forced to move elsewhere because there isn't enough available housing.
I would suggest you re-think your hate, does it really benefit you? If you cannot afford to buy a property and someone can, is it really that other person's fault? Shouldn't you blame e.g. the economic situation due to crappy politicians, or your employer who doesn't pay you enough? And perhaps do something about those situations? Or you could blame the seller - or, you could also be positive: happy for the local seller who got rid of the empty property that no local could buy, and got some income? Best of all, lose the hate, use the energy for something constructive, like out of the box ideas: e.g. pool your money and buy the empty property yourselves; turning it into a holiday rental? Or start some business that profits from holidaymakers? People away from home spend heaps of money! And they are not the enemy anyway. (BTW not a londoner, nor a homeowner myself - 1st or 2nd. Just worried about all the hate.)
Load More Replies... Yup, sorry, no sympathy. If she'd moved to the area, that's one thing. She literally came in with her money, scooped up a property and now gets to charge absurdly high rent to tourists she knows will pay because the area is beautiful. Meanwhile, the locals suffer from the gentrification. Wales has been having a 'second home' crisis the last few years for exactly the same reason.
Of course she needs pulling up about this, as does everyone who buys a second home in a desirable area and then complains that they don't have a shop / pub / doctor / friends within a 20 mile + radius. Stop second home ownership (this is by far and away the main reason for the decline of reasonably priced hotels in places like Cornwall ). I once had a blazing row with a stuck up cow who'd bought a second home in Somerset and was whinging on to her bunch of equally stuck up chums that she couldn't find a cleaner despite paying 50p over the minimum wage - I did get somewhat fruity with my counter argument and eventually asked her to leave the hotel - I was the manager and, thankfully, the owner of the hotel agreed with my stance and kept me on, she and her chums, however, were banned for life. The house went on sale later that year. People who but second homes do NOT contribute anything but a tiny, tiny amount to a local economy and will, of course always attract hatred and opprobrium.
She say's that the locals could have bought the property. Probably not, Airbnb is converting the residential areas into tourist areas. Places that were property has gone up 50% where I live because of investors from outside buying at over market prices because they are not interested in living only making a profit.
Tourists do need somewhere to stay, but it should be in manned hotels, or manned b and bs. It doesn't always need to be an actual home, or and air b and b. If people invested in doing up hotels and b and bs then they'd be living there full time as well and contributing more to the local area whilst not taking up housing amd charging it out at a ludicrous price.
Landlords must have downvoted this comment. You're correct.
Load More Replies... -says she renovated a nice new house while unable to afford to renovate her own. Nutjob.
Shelves have angled edges to allow door clearance. Still a little too close though.
Load More Replies... Must be nice to be able to afford two places. Meanwhile in AZ the medium house price is now over 400k. An article in realtor said the main home buyers right now are average 58. Idk how younger gens are supposed to live.
Some people have really fkd up priorities. She bought a house and spent all of her money doing it up to rent out to pay the mortgage on the London property she lives in with her child. Her home, which she says she hasn’t repaired / redecorated because she spent all her money on the rental property. And all her time too if anyone believes that she plastered it herself and plumbed in a new bathroom and kitchen. Why not spend that money on the home she is raising her child in like most parents? Like I said, fkd up priorities.
Lived in Cornwall 10 years,housing is so competitive as it's really sparse,and rent is expensive. St Mawes is a tiny village and seeing a house the locals can't afford, sitting empty when there's no tourists must be really frustrating. Also Cornwall is full of health conscious hipsters,there's definitely oat milk 😂
Did she pay people to renovate it or do all the work herself? The wording seems like she did it herself but the work is really well done. It confused me
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