The huge increase in people owning a second home in the UK - 300,000 people in England alone own one - has of course pushed up the price of property in many rural and coastal areas.

It has also started to become something of a political issue, as locals often cannot afford to buy property in their home towns and villages.

Of course, the growth in second homes has meant that owners of property that is let for holiday purposes have also seen good price growth.

However, for those not in the holiday let market yet, there are some cheap and attractive rural and coastal pockets of opportunity around. So, if you can spot an attractive area that has so far been overlooked by the mass of second home owners, and which could be easily let to holidaymakers, then you could do quite well, not least because the tax breaks on holiday lets are very good.

Tax breaks are good