From her window, Mavis Ward can see seven beaches and a car park that is empty — apart from her silver Ford Ka.

The view she knew about when she bought her two-bedroom flat in a new development in Newquay. What she was not expecting was to have the building to herself for most of the time.

Mrs Ward, an 83-year-old great- grandmother, is the only full-time resident of the Horizons building, a complex of 30 apartments overlooking the popular Cornish resort. Every other flat was bought by Londoners as a second home or to rent out as a holiday let.

Not only does she not have to fight for a parking space, she has a free run of the gymnasium, swimming pool, manicured roof garden and the sauna. In the summer she expects to share with seasonal visitors but in the winter she has the place to herself.

When she bought the £300,000 flat it was to let out as a holiday home to provide her with income. Instead, she decided to live in it herself.

Mrs Ward said: “I can see seven beaches and the sea and the whole of Newquay is laid out before me. Who can blame me for wanting to live out my end days here?”

In addition to the facilities, to which all the residents contribute — though most rarely use them — there is a full-time handyman on call in case she needs the sink unblocked or a shelf putting up.

She now enjoys keeping fit on the treadmill, riding solo in the lift and taking in the panoramic views of the town’s sandy beaches and green spaces.

Mrs Ward, who is divorced and has three daughters, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, said: “When I bought the flat and moved in I had no idea it would just be me. At first I wandered around thinking, ‘Where on earth is everyone?’.

“I was delighted when I realised I was the only permanent resident. I decided to move in the first place because I wanted some space. It’s a busy town and I was sick of the hubbub.

“Now I’m lady of the manor. I really can do as I please. I’ve got a gym with a swimming pool, treadmill, rowing machine, exercise bike and sauna. I never have to fight for a parking space and if I need work done the maintenance man is right there.

“Sometimes I don’t see people for weeks. When the owners do come back and use their flats at the weekends they come and say hello and check I’m OK. I think people see me as one of the fittings of the place — I’m like a permanent feature.”

Despite being the only full-time resident, Mrs Ward is rarely lonely and the sophisticated security system means she feels safe.

Two million people in Britain — 5 per cent — now own a second home, according to the Office for National Statistics. The number of second homes is 2.6 million, an increase of 300,000 in five years.

In Devon and Cornwall an estimated one in ten houses is a second home. In some particularly desirable resorts, such as Rock, the proportion can be 50 per cent or higher. The number of second homes that stand empty for much of the year has been blamed for the death of local pubs, post offices and schools.

A recent survey found that there were most second homes in London, followed by Birmingham, Snowdonia and Manchester.

Explore Property

• Buying & Selling

• New Homes

• Overseas

• Interiors

• Investment

• Gardens

• Cool In Your Code

• Specials

• First-time buyer

• Rental Market

Times recommends

• Second homes: credit crunch casualty or money-spinner?
• How I built my own sliding house
• Top 10 incentives for house buyers