The regulations haven't been fully voted on as yet, I think this is the possible exemption you are referring to.
//The exemption allows people to travel abroad “in connection with the purchase, sale, letting or rental of a residential property”. Those activities include visiting an estate agent, developer sales office or show home, viewing residential properties to rent or buy, and preparing a property for moving in.//
"7. Where it is reasonably necessary for P to leave the United Kingdom to undertake any of the following activities in connection with the purchase, sale, letting or rental of a residential property—
(a)visiting estate or letting agents, developer sales offices or show homes;
(b)viewing residential properties to look for a property to buy or to rent;
(c)preparing a residential property to move in;
(d)moving house;
(e)to visit a residential property to undertake any activities required for the rental or sale of that property."
You cannot go abroad merely because you have another property there, it has to be one of the quoted reasons.
Well, what do people do when they're selling their main home? Good deep clean, spruce up the garden, buy a few bits of furniture, a lick of paint here and there, check the roof and gutters.....like I said, should take about three weeks