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Housing problems

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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    go_away wrote: »
    I think they use the term 'key' worker to detract from the fact that a shitload of people can't afford to get on the property ladder. Key workers are just the tip of the iceberg.

    What can be done? More of a difficult one. BBC Have Your Sayers (a lovely bunch ;) ) are blaming BTLrs, immigrants, Thatcher, Bank of England + Gordon Brown. It would be nice to just to be able to buy a nice little place that doesn't cost a fortune (want a nice little house in Streatham Hill? Nice if you can cough up the 780K). My partner and I are looking to buy, but if it's not feasable, we'll buy some land in South Africa and build a house there, then move over once I've got all of my qualifications.

    It will probably be cheaper to "acquire the rights to" land in Zimbabwe, if you can get on with the landlord.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    shadow wrote: »
    where i live there are houses just about everywhere well. All they keep doing is putting houses and high rise flats everywhere. Its a disgrace:yes:

    Because people
    A) keep on having babies - leading to a rising population. and a need for more housing.
    B) have children and then the parents don't live togeather (or are unable to form meaningul relationships) - leading to a rise in single adult house holds
    C) no longer live togeather in multi generational house holds
    D) some sectors of the indigenous popultion of the UK would rather live off benefits than do meanial jobs - which means we need to import new people to do these for us - who also need housing.
    E) Lots of housign which was built in the post war period was sub standard (which in many ways was only right as they needed to solve a much bigger housing crisis then than we do now) and thus needs replacing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    seeker wrote: »
    It will probably be cheaper to "acquire the rights to" land in Zimbabwe, if you can get on with the landlord.

    Nah thanks, Cape Town is the only place I'd consider settling in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think it's a load of bollocks to be honest. I was talking about this with my dad today, and there is loads of housing available that isn't too expensive. The average price for a 3 bed terrace on the street around the corner from me is 85K, 65-75 for a 2 bed. And it isn't even a bad street.
    Too many people are aiming too high, looking for new builds and luxury apartments when there's a plethora of affordable housing out there. When I was looking at houses I found a bigger one, around the corner and further away from a train line for £2000 less and promptly bought it. People need to be less picky, and a bit more patient.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    I think it's a load of bollocks to be honest. I was talking about this with my dad today, and there is loads of housing available that isn't too expensive. The average price for a 3 bed terrace on the street around the corner from me is 85K, 65-75 for a 2 bed. And it isn't even a bad street.

    Too many people are aiming too high, looking for new builds and luxury apartments when there's a plethora of affordable housing out there

    :lol: plethora of affordable housing?? you obviously don't live in the south mate....BTL'ers aren't to blame so much as the planning restrictions which forces up the price of the areas that can be built on, coupled with the loose credit made available by the banks to people who can't repay their loans.....they are just taking advantage of the situation the government has manufactured, fact is a large proportion of the economy (or should i say debt) and consumer spending in the UK revolves around real estate, and when house prices stop rising and start falling you will see the mother of all recessions, which is why the government/BOE can't afford to raise IRs meaningfully right now to control inflation, so they fiddle the CPI instead.

    it will end badly one way or another, just look at the US where the subprime market is dragging them into recession, or in Ireland where inflation is above 5% and climbing.....who wants affordable housing in a 3rd world country? happy days ahead.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    The average price for a 3 bed terrace on the street around the corner from me is 85K, 65-75 for a 2 bed. And it isn't even a bad street.

    85K wouldn't buy you a pot to piss into in London. Seriously a one bedroom studio would set you back at least 150k. There might be cheap affordable housing in parts of the country however in the large cities its in short supply.

    :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    85k? wtf? where do you live, Wales?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    In times gone by, people used to move where the jobs and housing were, instead they're holding out and actually paying the obscene prices people are asking for. If people stop buying, prices go down, it's the beauty of capitalism.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Prices are high everywhere though, except Dewsbury *shudder*
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    I think it's a load of bollocks to be honest. I was talking about this with my dad today, and there is loads of housing available that isn't too expensive. The average price for a 3 bed terrace on the street around the corner from me is 85K, 65-75 for a 2 bed. And it isn't even a bad street.
    Too many people are aiming too high, looking for new builds and luxury apartments when there's a plethora of affordable housing out there. When I was looking at houses I found a bigger one, around the corner and further away from a train line for £2000 less and promptly bought it. People need to be less picky, and a bit more patient.

    You don't live in London do you?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    In times gone by, people used to move where the jobs and housing were, instead they're holding out and actually paying the obscene prices people are asking for. If people stop buying, prices go down, it's the beauty of capitalism.

    People move where the jobs are - London and the south east. Prices go up in response to demand. Housing is a basic human need.









    Hurray for capitalism!
    </sarcasm>
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not sure that it's any great tragedy for many people to not be able to afford to buy a house. In most European countries renting is the norm...

    You'd think if interest rates keep rising BTLers will struggle to raise rents enough to meet their repayments - and will be forced to sell, surplus of supply follows and prices fall... But I guess in London at least demand for housing is so intense it would take something pretty huge to reduce the demand.

    Part of the problem is the dominance of London. Whilst more and more people go to London the population in northern cities like Manchester and Liverpool has been falling.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    There are affordable homes near where I live, in Wolverhampton. Trouble is, they are in the crappy areas, and there are not many jobs going in the city.

    And by affordable I only mean that two people could buy them, as a single person you have no chance of getting a property unless you earn loads.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not sure that it's any great tragedy for many people to not be able to afford to buy a house. In most European countries renting is the norm...

    Yes and rent is also much more affordable. Go figure.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote: »
    Yes and rent is also much more affordable. Go figure.

    Where is rent much more affordable? Paris? Frankfurt? Brussels? Stockholm? Munich? Zurich? I think rents are pretty high in most comparable wealthy European cities. My brother lives in Paris - I can tell you that rents there aren't 'much more affordable.' And I know from German friends that Frankfurt isn't cheap either..

    You're right to some extent, I'm sure that generally people in France, Germany or wherever do spend a lower proportion of their wage on rent but 'abroad' is not as cheap as people often seem to think.

    And there is the fact that it's generally a lot easier to find work in London than it is in France or Germany. Take home pay is probably slightly higher too. To put it another way, when people vote with their feet London seems pretty popular - if considering everything, rent was so unaffordable in Britain I don't think so many people from elsewhere in the EU would be choosing to come to London.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You think rent is affordable for the average bod on minimum wage?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The study that informed the BBC article at the start of thios thread is utterly retarded

    (yet again demonstrating the moronic ineptitude/ willingness to deliberately mislead people of journalists, but that is another issue)

    It compares the average salary with the average house price which is totally misleading. Most people will buy as a couple or a group of some kind, and if you are buying on your own then you wouldn't be buying the 'average' house anyway.

    So the headline that public sector workers in 7/10 towns can't afford to buy housing is utterly misleading and wrong.

    The standard of journalism in this country is a toal disgrace.......
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Toadborg wrote: »
    The study that informed the BBC article at the start of thios thread is utterly retarded

    (yet again demonstrating the moronic ineptitude/ willingness to deliberately mislead people of journalists, but that is another issue)

    It compares the average salary with the average house price which is totally misleading. Most people will buy as a couple or a group of some kind, and if you are buying on your own then you wouldn't be buying the 'average' house anyway.

    So the headline that public sector workers in 7/10 towns can't afford to buy housing is utterly misleading and wrong.

    The standard of journalism in this country is a toal disgrace.......

    Perhaps the 7/10 figure might be slightly overstated. But the general point of the article is the same. A huge proportion of public sector workers cant afford to live in large cities (London & SE) You could be a family with 2 children. Finding a 3 bedroom house on a nurse/teacher/fireman's wage in London is a difficult task.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yep, just pointing that out.

    As has been mentioned, more houses need to be built.....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    go_away wrote: »
    I think they use the term 'key' worker to detract from the fact that a shitload of people can't afford to get on the property ladder. Key workers are just the tip of the iceberg.

    Nurses, firewo/men, police and so on, they're not on wages as low as people who work in factories. And tbh, why are they anymore worthy of a house than people in other professions?

    At the same time, maybe more people would apply for these jobs if there were an incentive.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well considering they have been reducing nurse numbers recently, there is certainly no need to encourage more applications!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    Nurses, firewo/men, police and so on, they're not on wages as low as people who work in factories. And tbh, why are they anymore worthy of a house than people in other professions?

    I would say they are more worthy than factory workers because, a factory can relocate anywhere in the UK it wishes. This could be to move where labor is cheaper or houses are in greater supply. However a central London police station has to stay within central London, it can't move to take advantage of cheaper costs of living.

    Therefore we need policemen/women to work at this central London location. Unfortunately the cost of living within a sensible working distance from central London is very high and out the reach of most public sector salaries.

    Police/Fire/Nurses are all essential to a safe big city like London.

    :thumb:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Calvin wrote: »
    I would say they are more worthy than factory workers because, a factory can relocate anywhere in the UK it wishes. This could be to move where labor is cheaper or houses are in greater supply. However a central London police station has to stay within central London, it can't move to take advantage of cheaper costs of living.

    Therefore we need policemen/women to work at this central London location. Unfortunately the cost of living within a sensible working distance from central London is very high and out the reach of most public sector salaries.

    Police/Fire/Nurses are all essential to a safe big city like London.

    :thumb:
    London is expensive for everybody... And everyone is of equal worth, I mean we need people in the shops, on the tubes, in call centres and so on to keep everything running smoothly. It is a team effort.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    London is expensive for everybody... And everyone is of equal worth, I mean we need people in the shops, on the tubes, in call centres and so on to keep everything running smoothly. It is a team effort.

    I would politely suggest that nurses are more important than Carphone Warehouse salesmen.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    London is expensive for everybody... And everyone is of equal worth, I mean we need people in the shops, on the tubes, in call centres and so on to keep everything running smoothly. It is a team effort.

    But there is an opportunity to move a call center out of London, somewhere the houses are cheaper and employees can afford to live. You cant move a police station from Charing Cross to Hull (for example) to take advantage of lower house prices. The Charing Cross police station has to stay in Charing Cross to be effective.

    It would be nice to make London affordable for everyone, but lets face it that isn't going to happen. The best thing we can do is build more houses in London and the SE in order to reduce the upward pressure on house prices.

    But at the moment its police/nurses/fireman who are under the greatest pressure trying to live in or near London or a modest salary. Its these key workers we should help first, because we cant make London affordable for everyone. Thats just life unfortunately.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote: »
    People move where the jobs are - London and the south east. Prices go up in response to demand. Housing is a basic human need.









    Hurray for capitalism!
    </sarcasm>



    I'd argue there are as many available jobs in the Midlands/North as there are in the South, and a lot more affordable housing. And no, I don't live in London thank fuck.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    I'd argue there are as many available jobs in the Midlands/North as there are in the South, and a lot more affordable housing. And no, I don't live in London thank fuck.

    What's your point? :confused:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm wondering why people move to the south-east in search of jobs when there are jobs readily available in the North.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    it's too cold up north, and everyone talks funny :p plus there are like 1000x more IT jobs in london than anywhere else, and IME wages are better despite the higher cost of living...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    I'm wondering why people move to the south-east in search of jobs when there are jobs readily available in the North.

    Because there are more jobs in the SE. Duh.
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