Home front: buying a West Country holiday home While it would be wrong to rule out properties based beyond that network, particularly if you are happy to travel by train, it is sobering to consider how keen you will be to travel farther and longer at the end of the working week. No matter how idyllic the fisherman's cottage may be. Even after you have arrived, there are practicalities to be considered. Crime and congestion do not begin or end at the M25. Robert Theobald, head of Fulfords country and waterside department, advised: "I would recommend second-home buyers to look at property which is not too isolated. Leave lights and the radio or stereo on a timer or, if you can afford it, investigate lighting systems or audio/ visual systems which can be remotely controlled so you can give the impression that you are at home. If you are buying in a coastal hot spot such as Dartmouth do not overlook where you will park your car. Parking can be a big headache and stand-alone garages have been sold for well over £25,000. However, he suggested a couple of solutions for people willing to think laterally: "If you have a boat, put it in the marina as your berthing fees will include a parking space. If you buy a coastal property, consider buying a small tender or boat to use to get to local beaches as roads get very congested in high summer and you can save yourself time. One is particularly useful if you live in Dartmouth as you can easily cross the river to Kingswear. Of course, that depends on how comfortable you feel in a boat and whether it is slack water or rip tide. Even so, Kingswear was also picked out by Richard Addington of Savills" Exeter office, who told me: "Kingswear prices are likely to increase further as a result of improved access, which the Kingskerswell bypass will bring. Another even bigger winner in my opinion will be Brixham, which currently is lower-valued and has more room for uplift. There is a marina and some quaint old houses around the harbour. That raises another fundamental point for second-home buyers: what are you going to do when you get there? Access to employment is the priority for most owner-occupiers, but enjoyment may be more important for a holiday home. Somewhere with plenty of things to do is likely to be more valuable and easier to sell. Good beaches, sports, culture, and restaurants help to explain the continuing popularity of places such as St Mawes, Salcombe and Croyde by the sea. Inland, Chagford and Dulverton are enduring destinations. Another consideration is that second-home buyers are likely to have less time to spend on maintenance and upkeep. So, for example, a property with a patio or paved courtyard might prove more practical than one with a large garden, which could become a wilderness if you skip a weekend or two in the spring or summer. Of course, a scruffy front garden is only one way to inadvertently irritate your new neighbours. By contrast, to really enjoy a holiday home "townies" will often find it is more important to get on with the people next door to their second property than it is in their main home. Common courtesies may have died out in urban areas but remain a good idea in the country. Gideon Sumption of Stacks Property Search emphasised: "Engage with the locals, buy produce at the corner shop and drive slowly through the village. When they pull into the ditch to let your shiny car pass, don't look the other way but raise your hand to thank them. Even better, buy an old car especially for the country. Nothing rubs the locals up more than city folk with large clean cars they cannot or will not reverse. Finally, don't skimp on your preparation. It's a good idea to rent before you buy, not least so that you can see an unfamiliar area in different seasons. Fabulous sea views in summer may seem more like a desolate wind tunnel in winter. You wouldn't want to invest in a place for peace and quiet then discover it holds its own mini-Glasto in spring.