Housing crisis solutions

[ChroniC]

Developers clearly can't just do what they like. You undermine your whole argument with such an emotional incorrect statement.

They do. Ok this might also be a government stupid/retarded policy but in all the new builds around this area, they have purposely developed the land (regardless of size, there is plenty of it) to make the roads small enough that it is impossible to drive down it, whilst someone is parked on the road.
They a lot you a driveway if you have one of the larger houses, (to fit 2 cars) or 1 parking space outside you house in the smaller/terraced sections.
I cannot work out if this is to stop people having cars or a way to fit more houses into the space they own. It seems like a greedy way to make the houses closer together with smaller gardens but charge more for them.

 

[McDaniel]

I'm started to get a bit worried about what I can get in Essex. I am doing it on my own, i moved home in Jan to maximise my saving, I've been renting the last 10 years, but in the time I've moved a bit (albeit in Essex) for work, but enjoyed my 20s. Nice car, nice holidays, even lived in Canada for a bit. Don't regret any of it.

So, now I'm 31, I earn £50k a year, I no debt (other then my car, but if needs be could hand that back and buy a run around, its 2 year trade in thingy!). Since Jan i've saved just shy of £13k on my target to have £20k by end of the year.

But property in Essex (for something that's not in a bad area, or ex council, or needs thousand on modernising) you're looking at £260-280k for a 2 bed, maybe some 3 beds. And this is about 20miles out from Chelmsford where i am working, a big estate in Chelmsford have started 2 bed homes >£300k!!

So with 50k income, and 20k deposit I honestly think i am going to struggle to find something half decent unless i can get close to 5x salary mortgage, or double to triple my deposit

 

[ChroniC]

Find a misses. or as most people from page 1-4 said to me. Try harder, stop having heating and tv, food and electricity, friends etc and buck your ideas up sonny jim, you don't know how easy you have it.

 

[FoxEye]

I'm started to get a bit worried about what I can get in Essex. I am doing it on my own, i moved home in Jan to maximise my saving, I've been renting the last 10 years, but in the time I've moved a bit (albeit in Essex) for work, but enjoyed my 20s. Nice car, nice holidays, even lived in Canada for a bit. Don't regret any of it.

So, now I'm 31, I earn £50k a year, I no debt (other then my car, but if needs be could hand that back and buy a run around, its 2 year trade in thingy!). Since Jan i've saved just shy of £13k on my target to have £20k by end of the year.

But property in Essex (for something that's not in a bad area, or ex council, or needs thousand on modernising) you're looking at £260-280k for a 2 bed, maybe some 3 beds. And this is about 20miles out from Chelmsford where i am working, a big estate in Chelmsford have started 2 bed homes >£300k!!

So with 50k income, and 20k deposit I honestly think i am going to struggle to find something half decent unless i can get close to 5x salary mortgage, or double to triple my deposit

Well at least you have hope that you can buy, one day. Maybe not even that far from now.

For the single people among us earning £20k, there is no hope. No future, no hope. Will spend the rest of our lives paying (excessive) rent to some landlord, and having absolutely no security, always living with the threat of being evicted with two weeks notice.

It's a pretty sad place you know when there's no hope. So depressing. And to also realise that nobody cares one iota for those on low income. You'll be scorned, told to "work harder", mocked, and made to feel bad about yourself.

Some people don't realise that not everybody can earn the big bucks. There will always be low paid workers, because not everybody can be an engineer.

I honestly wonder what our society will be like in 20 years. Could we really go back to have work houses? Will we have vast slums? Population keeps growing, wealth divide keeps growing, the # of people in poverty keeps growing by the governments own figures.

How long before we return to Victorian era conditions, with poor people living and dying on the streets. I do wonder. I think people are conditioned to believe that poor people are poor because they deserve to be.

Honestly, I despair for the future. Just no hope.

 

[Buffman]

^ If only they had some kind of 5 year plan to 50k which they followed up on...

 

[FoxEye]

^ If only they had some kind of 5 year plan to 50k which they followed up on...

That thread was so much horse poop.

My current plan is to die before I get old.

 

[dlite]

On tge radio an Estate Agent stated that 50% of new build were sold to investors, most of which were overseas buyers.
Why has this govenment and previous administrations failed to resolve the housing issue? I think it's because there are powerful businessmen who fund parties and have a stake in what happens as regards these policies.
The reason why I come to this conclusion is that I have numerous ideas that would definitely resolve some of the housing issues; and I'm not even a politician, nor did I go Oxford of Cambridge.
The govenments have faiked the people of this country who are in their 20s, 30s and even some in their 40s

Why is it bad that investors are buying flats and houses? All of those are going to rental market.

Don't you think that renters are the poorest in the society and need the most help to keep rents at bay?

Not everyone wants to own a property either, or indeed expects to.

BUT ....

What the vast majority of people DO want is somewhere AFFORDABLE and STABLE to live, be it rented or owned. And the rental market in the UK is in an outrageously poor state, with insane prices, massive shortages, poor quality of rental stock, exploitative buy-to-let landlords and short term, unstable tenancy agreements.

And that definitely IS something we need to fix.

Agreed thousand times.

 

[Tefal]

What I think is missing from this debate is the discussion of the question "What do we actually need to build?" Pretty much everyone seems to agree that we need to build more, although some are unwilling to actually fund it, but there's no agreement over what it is we actually need to build, where, and how to best suit the different needs and purposes in various different areas.

The majority of new builds just seem to be bog standard estates, which are essentially just a slightly updated version of the 1940s model and depending on where they are you'd have to already be on the housing ladder to hope to afford. What happened to all the grand visions of modern architecture we used to hear about? Designs intended to appeal psychologically to be nice places to be? Designs that aim to make the best use of limited space without ruining the landscape with massive high rises?

Did we just do brutalist architecture and Milton Keynes a bit too early and then everyone decided to throw the whole thing in the bin, rather than actually trying to learn the lessons and move forwards?

Those modern archetecures just didnt have mass appeal, they dont feel like home.


Ive been in penthouse appartments in london, and rheyve been full of wood,books and clasic "homesy" decor.


Thats what does apeal to most

 

[Puzzled]

That thread was so much horse poop.

My current plan is to die before I get old.

Best start saving for that burial plot! Prices are only going up and foreign investment is looking likely

 

[mid_gen]

Flats suck for families, new estates are already cram-it-all-in anyway unless geared for the middle-class.

On the contrary, flats are great for families. I lived in Hong Kong for a while, if it's a properly designed instead of the monstrosities we build in the UK it's perfect.

You have a gym, a pool, lots of shared outdoor grassy areas, shared BBQs, a creche, loads of classes, kids activities, yoga/pilates/crossfit/etc, a cinema that has kids movie nights, bowling alleys. A community right on your doorstep that's in a safe, secure environment. My friends with kids absolutely loved life in apartments.

 

[Trifid]

But property in Essex (for something that's not in a bad area, or ex council, or needs thousand on modernising) you're looking at £260-280k for a 2 bed, maybe some 3 beds. And this is about 20miles out from Chelmsford where i am working, a big estate in Chelmsford have started 2 bed homes >£300k!!

This is the compromise you are going to have to make unfortunately. I was looking at high spec 2 bed flats but discovered a 2 bedroom bungalow on a nice street that needed some work doing to it but it was more or less the same price as the flats and I get loads of off street parking (can fit 7 cars on my land), a big garage, garden and most importantly the freehold. I hate DIY but I am suffering through it as it makes financial sense to do so. Someone on this forum said when I was looking buy the worst house on the best street. I think it was good advice, look at what the house can become, not what it is.

 

[balky12]

Move anywhere with 30-50 miles or more round near me and the prices don't change on average.

Take a guess at the price on this.

3 bed small terrace ex council house, on a not particularly nice estate being it used to be a huge council estate. Average amenties all round the area.
Guess.

I see your example and raise you.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-pr...l?prop=39179235&sale=69636645&country=england

Probably needs about 100k worth of work done to it as well. Some lady lived in it her whole life till she was 92. Lovely woman.

This is why I had to move further out.

 

[Kingdom34]

Find a misses. or as most people from page 1-4 said to me. Try harder, stop having heating and tv, food and electricity, friends etc and buck your ideas up sonny jim, you don't know how easy you have it.

I have a question for you ChroniC....what are you doing with the spare (assumed albeit) £1.5k of your combined wages?

Combined wages - £50k...Combined tax allowance £20k...taxable income £30k....tax £10k.

£40k/12 - £3300....Rent £900...bills - £500 pm....plus social budget etc....Total £2k....so ok £1300pm spare...

1-1.5yrs you will have your £20k deposit on a £200k house that you can afford...so for how long have you been earning these sums? As to be honest you can afford it....which leads me back to sacrifice and hard graft...have you got it in you? Or are you just covering up.

Honest question here...as, as ive said i was in your boat and i saved and grafted and didnt complain that id been screwed over or there was a reason...i got on with it

 

[ChroniC]

I have had this conversation with others. It's no ones business how or where my money is, whether I have some of the deposit or none of it.
It was a thread to discuss some of the possibilities on how to achieve a more realistic wage to deposit/house price ratio for a whole generation and those in the future.
The problem is a reality that needs discussing, regardless.

Thanks

 

[Scam]

This article seems apt for some of the comments in this thread: "Those who deny the housing crisis can no longer conceal their idiocy. With each damning housing report, the dinosaurs who refuse to acknowledge facts peel off - especially now problems with affordability are countrywide."

Housing crisis deniers can no longer pretend there is no problem. Yet there persists a trend for belittling young people who cannot afford to buy by claiming everyone can afford to do so as long as they don’t live in London. This ignores the fact that people live where their jobs are, as well as their families, friends, and emotional roots. If you took a London salary to Lincolnshire, you could probably afford a home – but you would lose your work in the process.

Sound familiar?

I particularly like Shelter's work on showing how fast house prices have been rising, it helps to convince the non-believers:

To highlight the extent of the UK’s dysfunctional housing market, the charity analysed the cost of a typical weekly shop for a family of four based on house price inflation since 1971.

At that time the weekly shop cost £10.40, and the average home £5,632. By 2011 the price of the average home had shot up to £245,319 – over 43 times more expensive. This puts the average weekly shop at £453.23.

Applying the same rate of inflation to everyday food items reveals that:

• a 4-pint carton of milk would cost £10.45
• a chicken would cost £51.18
• a bunch of 6 bananas would cost £8.47
• a box of 6 eggs would cost £5.01
• a loaf of sliced white bread would cost £4.36
• a leg of lamb would cost £53.18

 

[KillBoY_UK]

I have had this conversation with others. I none of your business.

It is your business, but this forum being thins forum people will push you on it. I will presume its something innocent. If I was single and had £1300 to blow every month after bills, ill probably spend it on graphics cards drugs and escorts, most likely the former

 

[balky12]

I have had this conversation with others. It's no ones business how or where my money is, whether I have some of the deposit or none of it.
It was a thread to discuss some of the possibilities on how to achieve a more realistic wage to deposit/house price ratio for a whole generation and those in the future.
The problem is a reality that needs discussing, regardless.

Thanks

Probably could have saved a lot of these type questions if you hadn't of opened with:

'I am one of the very unfortunate people in their thirties struggling to get onto the property ladder. Where I live, properties are a minimum of 180-250 with deposits necessary in excess of 20k.'.

It's not easy. But people do manage it. Also people on less than £50k a year. Best of luck though.

 

[Mr Badger]

Try harder, stop having heating and tv, food and electricity, friends etc and buck your ideas up sonny jim, you don't know how easy you have it.

I'm reliably informed that mobile phone ownership is the real issue.

Seriously, I know a number of retired folk (some of them relatives) that own houses that they were able to buy on a normal salary are now worth a fortune - the housing market here in Bristol is pretty crazy. When the topic of working people not being able to afford to buy a house is discussed they all seem to trot out the same response that young people these days would rather spend all their money on mobile phones than save up for a house.

 

[Dr Jack]

Seriously, I know a number of retired folk (some of them relatives) that own houses that they were able to buy on a normal salary are now worth a fortune - the housing market here in Bristol is pretty crazy. When the topic of working people not being able to afford to buy a house is discussed they all seem to trot out the same response that young people these days would rather spend all their money on mobile phones than save up for a house.

I've made about £60,000 on my property through no labour of my own. I didn't even save up a deposit; you could get mortgages worth over a hundred percent of the house in those days, my first mortgage was a 103% L-to-V.

I think it's pretty sickening when people who (like me) have wracked up tens, sometimes hundreds, of thousands of pounds in unearned income through the simple measure of owning a home, and benefit from the extent to which mortgages are cheaper than rents, are snide towards people who didn't get the luck and benefits we did.

 

[balky12]

It can be quite sickening... (not mine)

£300,000 Detached, Freehold Nov 1998

Zoopla Estimate £1,071,000 2016