Holt family left with nowhere to live after being told to move out

But Holt couple Sara and Alan Caistor believe they now could be facing homelessness and have little chance of getting on the housing ladder after being told to move out of their property.

The Caistors, who have two teenage children, have rented their home for the past 10 years, but now find themselves “completely stuck” after being given notice by their landlord, who is set to move into the home himself.

Mrs Caistor said they were left with nowhere else to go.

She said: “We can’t afford the big deposits required for the cost of homes in the area.

“We’re not alone in this. Every time we look at a property there are queues of people all fighting for it.

“If there is a house which comes available on the market at a reasonable price it’s snapped up in an instant.”

Alan and Sara Caistor outside their rented Holt home (Image: Supplied)

READ MORE: New plans to limit second and holiday homes in north Norfolk

Mrs Caistor works as a library manager at Norfolk County Council and Mr Caistor is a self-employed locksmith. 

The Caistors’ plight is an illustration of the difficulties facing many local families trying to get on the housing ladder.

It is thought that the ever-rising number of holiday lets and second homes in north Norfolk has impacted the availability and affordability of houses on the market for locals to buy or rent.

North Norfolk has the second highest proportion of second homes in the country, with 7,169 as of April 1 last year.

More than 40pc of all houses in some popular resort towns and villages are reportedly either holiday lets or second homes.

But a report prepared for North Norfolk District Council last year found that it was retirees, rather than holiday homes, which were the main driver of rising house prices. 

That report, called ‘Second Homes and Holiday Lets’, said there was “neither a clear positive or negative impact from second homes and holiday homes on the overall housing market”, but said they may cause “some local effects”.

It also said people aged 65+ made up 32pc of the district’s population, many of whom are coming to the district to retire.

Mrs Caistor said she was hopeful that new deposit-free mortgages, which have just been introduced by Skipton Building Society, could be a “potential way” for her family to get on the property ladder. 

Skipton’s deal requires anyone applying to have a full year of on-time rental payments and a good credit history, but a guarantor is not required.

But the interest rate is 5.49pc – making it more expensive than the average five-year fix of 5pc.

READ MORE: Stricter rules for developers as councillors save Holt homes

The Caistors have rented in the area for a total of 18 years. 

Mrs Caistor said: “Part of our frustration is the fact that we are good renters.

“We’ve been long-term tenants and we’ve always paid our rent on time, so we feel we’ve proved that we could afford a mortgage payment.”

READ MORE: No holidays, Starbucks or nights out – How young couple got on the housing ladder

According to HM Land Registry, properties in North Norfolk (the parliamentary constituency) had an overall average price of £368,256 over the last year.

Most house sales in the district have been of detached properties, which have sold for an average price of £482,147.

Semi-detached properties sold for an average of £287,367 and terraced properties have fetched an average of £274,427.

Overall, sold prices in North Norfolk over the last year were 10pc up on the previous year, and 18pc up on the 2020 peak of £313,379.

According to Zoopla, the most expensive property sold near the north Norfolk coast within the past year was Saltmarsh House in Burnham Market, which fetched £3,825,000 in September, followed by Pinewood in Blakeney, which was sold for £2,550,000 in July.