The 5 year plan to £50k

Status
Not open for further replies.
FoxEye said:
We're fighting back tho. St Ives and other places are now clamping down on 2nd home ownership. It's unpopular and councils are now starting to see what happens when you let so much of your housing stock sit empty for long periods.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it, we now need to account for council backhanders and everything :)
 
Housey said:
Tell me about it, we now need to account for council backhanders and everything :)
Click to expand...
Nah, all Cornwall's MPs are Tory. They've actually told Cornwall Council it needs to provide more 2nd homes.

That's what Tory HQ thinks Cornwall is. A nice place for a 2nd home, if you can avoid the 6-toed locals.
 
FoxEye said:
In some areas, 70% are 2nd homes. Due to rise to 90% in coming decade. This pushes up prices massively.

For a house not in an old mining village miles away from any employer, and not in a drug den (Redruth), you're looking at 300k starting price. Like, for a two bedroom smallish house.

But a really big problem here is the staggering growth of BTL. I kid you not, most new build houses never get the chance to be sold to a FTB or other home owner. They go straight into a BTL portfolio.

There is wealth down here, but it's super concentrated, and mostly it's in the hands of those with (lots of) property. I think home ownership in Cornwall is lower than the rest of the country.
Click to expand...

I would say that I think you're deluded but obviously you are.
Holiday home ownership is nowhere near 70%. If this was the case then Cornwall would be completely dead. Sure there is a lot that are but your figures are out of whack.

The issue is I think is that you're treating Cornwall like one big city. Expecting every small village to have big corporate organisations within, that pay above the UK average.
There is plenty of work around if you're prepared to put the effort in to find it. I mean from Truro you could get to pretty much anywhere in Cornwall within an hour on a good day and that's an awful lot of space covered so the excuse that every village is miles away from an employer is BS.
As for the starting prices of houses at 300k for a two bed... Have you even looked? I'm currently buying a place - to which there has been plenty around - and I'll tell you there are some decent modest sized 3 beds for the 200k mark within walking distance of Truro Center.

You're expecting a lot, making excuses for everything and not making any effort to change things - typical Cornishman!

Source - lived in Cornwall my whole life. Lived with parents not so many years ago on a lesser wage than 27k and managed to save a very healthy deposit for a house. Still living in Cornwall, comfortably, enjoying life whilst being no ones slave, earning more than 27k!
 
Last edited:
mattyy said:
I would say that I think you're deluded but obviously you are.
Holiday home ownership is nowhere near 70%. If this was the case then Cornwall would be completely dead. Sure there is a lot that are but your figures are out of whack.
Click to expand...
It says, right there in the bit you quoted, "in some areas". Did you read that bit? And actually it's true. The coastal regions of Cornwall do indeed included villages and towns with approx 70% 2nd home composition. And studies predict that will rise to 90% in the coming decade.

In some areas. Coastal areas. Inland is where you find the "natives". In slums like Redruth, where houses are more affordable and drugs are rife :p

The issue is I think is that you're treating Cornwall like one big city. Expecting every small village to have big corporate organisations within, that pay above the UK average.
There is plenty of work around if you're prepared to put the effort in to find it. I mean from Truro you could get to pretty much anywhere in Cornwall within an hour on a good day and that's an awful lot of space covered so the excuse that every village is miles away from an employer is BS.
As for the starting prices of houses at 300k for a two bed... Have you even looked? I'm currently buying a place - to which there has been plenty around - and I'll tell you there are some decent modest sized 3 beds for the 200k mark within walking distance of Truro Center.
Click to expand...
Not unless there's something wrong with them. Truro is normally 300k-400k. Yes of course I've looked :p

I can show you on RightMove or whatever houses for sale in Truro right now... and the ones on the market that aren't wrecks are starting at 300k. And by wreck I mean need 1000s in renovation work.

You're expecting a lot, making excuses for everything and not making any effort to change things - typical Cornishman!

Source - lived in Cornwall my whole life. Lived with parents not so many years ago on a lesser wage than 27k and managed to save a very healthy deposit for a house. Still living in Cornwall, comfortably, enjoying life whilst being no ones slave, earning more than 27k!
Click to expand...
Good for you. Did you have any help to buy your house, say from your parents? To help with your deposit...
 
Actually I did and I would still disagree. I currently live in Falmouth which you would class as a costal town, right? I wouldn't say that 70% of houses are empty in the winter. I have also lived in Padstow and Charlestown and neither of those are 30% occupied out of season. Quieter yeah but not that much.

Please do. I'd be intrigued to look. I have just had my two bed terraced house near swan pool, Falmouth valued at 155k. It's a decent size and included drive & garage. Is Falmouth another part of Cornwall that rifled with drugs? Do the students bring down the house prices here?

I am now going through the motions on completing a sale. Large detached 3 bed with garage just out side of Truro (shortlanesend) for £235k. Doesn't need 1000s of restoration work...

Haha. Actually no I did not. They live in a council house in one of those drug riddled villages you speak about, they don't own it and never will. The only help I received was cheap rent, which I'm sure you also had the privilege of. I'm sure the hard up bringing I had with the lack of money my parents had drives me to the same goal as you.
This isn't meant to be personal, I'm just saying it can be done and it can be done very easily but you really do seem to be pulling every excuse under the sun out.

For a start, don't look at houses you can't afford. Get into a small flat - you may not like I but at least it's one step to not being someone else's slave.


Hey - Check out this property I found via the Zoopla App -
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/43854382

Hey - Check out this property I found via the Zoopla App -
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/43637175

Hey - Check out this property I found via the Zoopla App -
http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/44214196
4 bed, Center of Truro. Recently renovated and well under 300k!

Just a couple...
 
Last edited:
Alright I'll show you some typical houses in Truro and prices tomorrow. Have only been recently looking as it happens. But not for myself.

One last thing for tonight... you mentioned Padstow. According to 2011 data, Padstow had just over 29% 2nd homes, so not the worst place for it by far.

But I did find some more recent data in a discussion in another thread... will have to see if I can find it again. And there certainly are places with 70% 2nd home composition, but again I'll have to reacquire the source for that info. Should have bookmarked it!

e: Here we are. Direct from Cornwall Council's housing dept.

"I understand that second homes are important to the Cornish economy," says Mark Kaczmarek, cabinet member for housing at Cornwall council. "But they negatively affect rural services such as shops, post offices and schools during off-season. Some villages have up to 70% second homes and look like ghost towns in winter."
Click to expand...

https://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2013/mar/07/blight-second-homes-cornwall-london

I did also previously find a map showing density of 2nd homes in Cornwall, but will have to find it again.

e2: It's largely academic anyhow. My average salary over the last 10 years has been ~15k. The max mortgage I could get is 60k. With savings that's 100k max.

Still well, well short of £250k. There's genuinely bugger all bar garages for 100k down here.

And given how many people are on min wage (12k p.a.) jobs, it's a disgrace. Cornwall is a shocking place to live for most of us. By far the majority won't even earn 15k down here.
 
Last edited:
That same article also says that London has the highest density of holiday homes.
Anyway, it's all numbers really. You can spend the rest of the night telling me what village has the greater extent of holiday homes etc but it doesn't really matter as most of those places I wouldn't want to live anyway. St Ives for example, what a nightmare in the summer - Cornwall has so many other places to offer that aren't packed out all summer.
The whole holiday home situation isn't really any different to any other 'nice' place in the world.

So, you have been on what you deem to be a very low wage for a long time in a place where it is very hard to live, yet you've still managed to save 40k? That's a nice size deposit that many people are struggling to save across the UK - not just Cornwall.

I can appriciate the low salary will make things hard but you need to live within your means. Clearly a 250k house smack bang in the centre of a city is not achievable for you right now. The best place to put your money right now is into property though so get a 1 bed flat in Redruth. Easily do able for 80k - you'll have cheaper payouts and you'll be gaining equity towards that place in Truro, which you will never do as you are.

You don't just have to accept you're a low earner just because you think everyone else is. You can get more than 15k working at Aldi and Lidl these days. Coastline were looking for a level 2 electrician recently. Advertised at £24k starting - that's what 2 years of training at most and you can even do that by distance learning or evening classes to suit you. The opertunities are out there you just need to get out of the rut you're in and stop focusing on the amount of holiday homes there are.

Renovated 1 bed apartment @ 150k in the middle of Truro.
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/new-homes/...h_identifier=779d2bd7c54fdcb1c3a29e18902da055

1 bed flat in Camborne @90k
https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/d...83bcee8e3395dce41d9dcee1e#tqM0tOKShTUtLWzy.97



Edit - Also seems like what you think might be the normal/average wage in Cornwall is low as well.. It's closer to 20k than 12k
http://www.cllrandrewwallis.co.uk/cornwalls-average-wage/
 
Last edited:
FoxEye said:
I don't think I'm "on the spectrum". I don't have any super maths powers, for starters ;) I'm just a bit of an antisocial git, that's all. I've never understood or empathised with other people, and I've never felt a strong desire for the company of others.

I'm sure that does sound strange to a lot of people. I'm basically just a misanthrope. Sometimes I *do* question if it's by choice, or by lack of effort, or by genetics. That I can't answer. But I wouldn't want to be diagnosed with anything. I'm not trendy enough for that ;)
Click to expand...

but not all autistic people have "special powers" - the rain man thing is just a Hollywood trope, AFAIK most of them (with mild cases) are just anti social and lack empathy

A diagnosis isn't really about being 'trendy' but perhaps trying to get some help, if you carry on in the same manner: stuck in a rut and reliant on living rent free in your mother's house then you could end up with some serious regrets once that situation changes and you become reliant on yourself to put a roof over your head. It would be a shame if up to that point you've wasted several years where you could have changed your situation, as a single male you'll be the lowest priority for social housing and without having worked towards a career then buying somewhere is going to be tricky too.
 
FoxEye said:
And there certainly are places with 70% 2nd home composition, but again I'll have to reacquire the source for that info. Should have bookmarked it!
[...]
And given how many people are on min wage (12k p.a.) jobs, it's a disgrace. Cornwall is a shocking place to live for most of us. By far the majority won't even earn 15k down here.
Click to expand...

That some specific areas have a high concentration is a big issue in itself, it is the overall effect on the whole area that is the potential concern. I think the local authority does need to address that overall, but cherry picking some specific small village and saying look there are lots of second homes there isn' really the issue.

If people are waiting on tables etc.. then I'm not sure what is shocking re: earning 15k per year - the population of the UK is continually increasing and no Cornwall isn't going to turn into some utopia where people can spend their days doing something of minimal value and then get to live in a decent family home in an area where plenty of others would like to live too. There is no birth right to a decent property simply because you grew up there - likewise someone growing up in Westminster, London isn't necessarily going to be able to live there themselves.

It does seem from the other poster that there are clearly homes out there that could be affordable for less than the 50k target salary you put forth at the start of this thread. You seem to want it all on a plate though - someone to just give you a career that pays really well and that can buy you a house, not just a modestly priced flat, in a highly desirable part of the country.

The problem is you're not just going to be handed a nice career on a plate, you need to work for it, you've got plenty of free time to do that so it does seem to be a motivation/personality thing as there doesn't seem to have been any progress over the past three years. I'd love to see a positive update in a year or two years.

Lastly, you say you don't want to live as someone's slave, the problem is, if a few years down the line you're no longer able to live in your mother's house and you haven't made a change, you might well end up in a sort of situation you'd describe as living as someone's slave. Ten years time, with no change, you may find yourself at the mercy of BTL landlords and employers who don't value you (because you don't have much of value to offer them) - you might even blame the employer and/or the landlord for your situation then but mostly* where you end up in 10 years is going to be down to you and the choices you make.

*chance events aside like having a serious accident/illness etc..etc..
 
Foxeye, in your firsrt post you say "step 1.. career, step 2 move out of parents"...but you mention your mum not being able to stay where she is unless you stay at home.....is moving out still a goal?

If so, moving out first would make things tighter financially and would force you look for jobs and make an effort....your savings won't last for long if unemployed with a mortgage! If it's **** then just sell up and move back home.

Nothing wrong with living at home...doing what you want, no need to try and please others....have friends you don't want etc.

as long as you've tried
 
FoxEye said:
That figure was something I made up based on the price of housing... what's important to be is not being somebody else's slave.

I could live quite comfortably on less I'm sure. I just really, really don't want to end up like people I know, on low wages and paying off someone else's mortgage for them.

Frankly, if that's living, then I honestly don't see the point. I don't see the point in existing purely to struggle, purely to enrich someone else. I'd rather simply cease to exist. Perhaps I'm odd.

e: In a nutshell - life is pointless. I don't want it to be onerous and miserable as well.
Click to expand...

Well that's a red flag if ever I saw one. Speak to someone. Please.
 
flibbage0 said:
I'm standing up all day sorting out other people's mistakes and at the end of the day your boss who has to sign you off tells you "I haven't seen you do xyz"

It's been nothing short of pure excrement, and I've spoken to mates frequently who are doing the same registration year as I am and have none of these issues
Click to expand...

Thanks, the amount of times pharmacists have saved lives on the wards and improved patient's situations is huge, people don't realise the valuable job they do.
 
So the excuses have now moved back to BTL landlords and housing prices? Took me all of 15 secs on the rightmove website to find 5 houses in and around truro for 175k.

You really need to stop using anything and everything as an excuse.
 
You don't need to conform in order to be content with your achievements. Personal sacrifice is large part of why people achieve their ambitions and goals, and making sure that you have both short term and long term ambitions. Having long term targets in mind help you manage your short term mindset/balance.

FoxEye: you've indicated that owning your own property in Cornwall is desirable, as is generating an income you're satisfied with. In all honesty, if you'd have downed tools on day one of this thread, moved to a city offering increased opportunities (career and wage) and spent three years working at it, you could have set yourself up by now. For example, if you'd tolerated London for a few years, obtained a decent paying job (even one that you've not necessarily enjoyed), you would have been able to put to use the salary and your deposit savings by buying a £300k house back home. Not everyone is sat in a job that they're constantly happy with, but many realise that short and long term goals can be readily achieved by putting thought, consideration and effort into yourself.
 
could have potentially moved back to Cornwall by now and be working from home - various employers offer this these days, though the chances are better once you've established yourself

the other issue about moving away to an area with more jobs is just the opportunities at entry level - if you're reliant on finding an employer within X miles of Mum's house that will train you up and set you on a career path to 50k etc.. starting without a degree or much in the way of qualifications/experience then your choices could be very limited if not perhaps even non-existent
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom