An introductory letter from Nikolaus Thomale, Founder and MD of MYNE

When we founded MYNE in 2021, our vision was simple yet ambitious: to make holiday home ownership accessible and enjoyable to more people by removing the traditional barriers that often stand in the way.

Since our UK launch in May 2025, we’ve commissioned research with 2,000 British people to explore how the holiday home market is evolving across Europe. 

One insight stood out above all others: holiday home ownership is deeply ingrained in the British psyche. While only 1% in the report currently own a holiday property, an overwhelming 92% aspire to own a holiday home abroad.

The gap between desire and reality is hardly surprising. Upfront costs, post-Brexit regulations, and complex foreign bureaucracy have made traditional ownership increasingly difficult. And with Spain even considering a 100% property tax on non-EU buyers, the hurdles are only rising higher.

This is where a co-ownership model changes the game by offering a more affordable, flexible, and sustainable alternative to full ownership that suits the needs of the world we live in right now. In business, the concept of a ‘shared economy’ is nothing new, but its potential in the holiday home space remains largely untapped. 

Our research shows 65% of people in Britain would consider co-ownership - despite this being a new model within the European property space. And the 119% increase in new home signings at MYNE between the first halves of 2024 and 2025 show that people are also willing to sign on the dotted line. Reduced upfront costs, fewer responsibilities, and access to higher-quality properties are just some of the reasons why.

The holiday home dream is clearly alive and well in Britain. What's changing is the way we realise that dream. And at MYNE, we’re helping people do that in a way that works for modern life. 

Section 1: A nation of holiday-home dreamers

A truly British dream

If there’s such a thing as a British dream, it’s to own property. 

In the research, participants said that, on average, they spend four hours a week browsing dream homes. 87% admitted to fantasising about them either ‘often’ or every day, and 88% even admit these fantasies can interfere with their work.

This cultural nuance is most commonly identified as a characteristic linked to people’s first homes. But as MYNE’s research also shows, it is not limited to properties where owners pass most of their time. It extends to holiday homes too.

You need only look at some of Britain’s most popular daytime television shows, such as ‘A Place in the Sun’, to know how much the nation dreams of a sunnier life abroad. But as a more precise gauge, 92% of participants in MYNE’s research said they would like to own a holiday home at some point. And almost half (47%) spend time on holiday looking at local property listings in estate agents’ windows to see what they could afford.

Section 2: An unrealised dream

Back to reality

Despite their big dreams, holiday homes for most British people remain exactly that: a dream. Only 1% of people in MYNE’s survey reported owning a holiday home either in Britain or abroad, and as little as 10% considered holiday home ownership ‘easy’.

Aside from the upfront cost, there are a wide range of reasons why British people are put off purchasing holiday homes. From most to least common, these include: taxes and fees (38%), maintenance costs (33%), local bureaucracy (28%), post-Brexit rules (26%), the hassle of dealing with foreign estate agents and rules (26%), language barriers (23%), and the stress of managing rentals (20%).

For these reasons, the average person in Britain starts dreaming about owning a holiday home at 34, but doesn’t expect to buy one until 46. Over a quarter (27%) don’t think they’ll ever be able to purchase a holiday home.  

Section 3: Sharing the dream

‘Fractional’ or ‘co-ownership’ is the emerging solution helping people to realise their ambitions to own holiday homes. With this model, small groups of people purchase ‘shares’ in holiday homes (MYNE homes are split into eight shares) and then share access to the properties flexibly.

In using this model, home owners are able to address many of the issues commonly associated with foreign holiday home ownership:

• Reduced upfront and associated costs like taxes drastically for owners (MYNE holiday homes are divided into eight shares).

• Access to luxury properties and experiences that buyers might not otherwise be able to afford.

• Eliminated hassle of local bureaucracy and property maintenance, when purchased and managed through an end-to-end service like MYNE.

• More sustainable relationships between owners and their local communities, where homes are inhabited throughout the year, instead of being left empty for long periods.

These are all factors that directly meet the most important needs of British people looking for holiday homes, which are: ‘hassle-free property ownership and maintenance’ (23%), ‘access to high-quality properties’ (22%), ‘flying in to find everything ready, from towels to wine in the fridge’ (16%).

At MYNE we offer a hassle free, end-to-end service that takes care of everything for its clientele - allowing you to enjoy your home, whether it’s by the coast or tucked up in the mountains.

MYNE homes are furnished with the highest-quality furniture, appliances, and homewares from brands that include Schramm, Miele, Eichholtz, Dyson, and Weber.

Shares in MYNE holiday homes cost between £99,000 and £900,000, with properties available across 9 European countries.