Before 2020, many people faced a choice for where they would live and spend most of their time: the bustle of the city or peace of the countryside? Each location has ample benefits and attractions, and for a growing segment of the population, the answer is increasingly ‘¿por qué no los dos’? After over two years of pandemic-related lockdowns and hybrid or fully remote working, holiday destinations have seen a surge of second home buyers searching for space, an escape from city life, and a place to focus on themselves. However, because many are still tied to their offices for a few days a week, ease of access to major world cities remains a priority. Hybrid working has been widely discussed, but the trend of ‘hybrid living’ – splitting time between a city-base and a second home – is beginning to take off.

Savills Research has examined three second home locations within a two to three hour plane, train, or car journey from a major world city and ranked them based on their residential offering, wellness amenities, and connectivity.

For any residential property market, the price of property is key and the second homes market is no exception. Second home markets do tend to be slightly less price sensitive than those for primary residences, but buyers largely still look for value and a good investment, that suits the needs of their families. The second home locations with lower prices for family-size properties perform well in this category. For those who aren’t settled on a location, there is a strong trend of ‘try before you buy’. Ample short-term rentals for long weekends as potential buyers test the waters of a new location are essential for attracting new residents. Second home markets with high numbers of short-term rentals also score highly in the residential category.

With the increased focus on personal health and wellness, second home locations have to pull double-duty by providing both the traditional sun, sea, countryside or mountains and also providing the key amenities to promote personal wellness. Locations which excel in this category offer ample gyms, high numbers of golf and tennis courts, and large numbers of spas which second home residents will be able to take advantage of. Air quality is also a key element for a top wellness score, especially as many have recognised the effects of pollution on personal health.

For hybrid living and hybrid working, people need to be connected to the major world cities. All of the locations analysed can be reached within a short travel time, making them easily accessible and more useful for spending longer stretches of time in the second home. Internet connectivity and fast broadband speeds are also critical here. Potential buyers are increasingly looking for a second home rather than a holiday home that they will only useoccasionally, so having the ability to work remotely pushes up the locations with ample connectivity.
 
Across the board, locations which perform well against their counterparts for their particular World City can be found in traditional sun and sea areas. Galicia, Tuscany, Bali, the Costa del Sol and the Côte d’Azur each provide top-tier offerings for wellness, a strong residential market, and have solid connections to their world cities, all of which propel them to the top against their competitor markets.