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In a viral post on Mumsnet, one woman wondered if it was really worth it to accept an offer to stay in her sister-in-law’s vacation home.
At the heart of the drama is a seaside retreat owned by the woman’s sister-in-law. The home, bought before the COVID lockdown in 2020, became the sister’s sanctuary for eighteen months. Since then, her visits have dropped dramatically, with the poster alleging that she only spent two weeks there last year. During those visits, the woman said her sister-in-law regretted spending most of her vacation time on property upkeep.
Recently, the sister-in-law extended a golden ticket — a week-long escape for her brother and his wife, the original poster. At first, she enjoyed the idea of the break with her husband and grandchildren, especially since financial constraints made any other vacation difficult.
That’s when her sister-in-law set conditions for the stay; what the original poster thought would be a time to relax turned into something else.
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From sprucing up the overgrown garden to airing out the house and giving it a thorough dusting, she and her husband were tasked with cleaning up the vacation home. The sister-in-law was planning on arriving shortly after they left.
“Am I missing something? She wants us to prep her place before she arrives!” The poster wrote. Her husband thought the chores were a “small price to pay” for their seaside escape, but she wasn’t sure.
She said that she felt exploited and taken advantage of, worrying that housework might overtake their vacation.
The sister-in-law hasn’t invited anyone to visit the property since she bought it, the original poster claimed, adding, “not even her parents.”
Her rare use of the house, along with her reluctance to let family or friends stay there — even when they offer to pay — set the tone for the current situation.
Some in the online community supported the poster and believed her sister-in-law was using the holiday as a way to get free cleaning services. Others said a free stay comes with responsibilities and thought doing a little tidying up was a fair expectation.
“I think it’s absolutely fair for a free holiday,” another commenter posted. “I’d do it!”
“If I were you I’d just pay someone to come in and clean for a couple of hours and then enjoy my holiday,” another person wrote.
“She’s absolutely using you to go in and clean it for her first,” one commenter wrote. “I wouldn’t really be happy on principle, but is the bigger picture a nice holiday with your grandchildren, and is it worth letting it go.”
Another commenter was more direct. “She’s definitely using you. Up to you to decide if it’s worth it or not.”
