Life can sometimes be very stressful. It only takes a couple of days with the boss yelling at you, the kids screaming at you and the other half moaning at you and you’re ready to call it a day. They say a change is as good as a rest so it makes sense to do both. If what you really need is some peace and quiet then a weekend away will leave you feeling fresh as a daisy. One of the benefits of living on a small island like the UK means you can get so far away in just a couple of hours. In just a few short hours you could be in a part of the country you’re never visited before. Whether you want a weekend with the girls shopping or with the boys on the golf course it can’t be too hard to find the perfect activity.

Before you just pack a suite case and jump in the car you need to put a little planning in first. Make sure you know exactly what you want from your little trip. Maybe you want a distraction so the hustle of a busy city is what appeals or maybe you want somthing rural and remote. If you’re after the peace and quiet you need to think about the accommodation you’ll want. Maybe a busy hotel isn’t going to give you the solitude you require. A B&B might sound cosy but you’re going to have other guests that will want to make small talk with you and then there’s the owners too. The perfect solution here would seem to be renting a holiday cottage.

If you do go for a holiday cottage make sure the owner has proper holiday home insurance. This is not the same as your normal home insurance. One of the most obvious examples would be a standard home insurance policy would become invalid if the cottage was left vacant for too long. Specialist second home insurance means that you or any other tenants are also covered as well. The same applies if you decide to take your break abroad, make sure they have overseas property insurance.