Forums > Social Discussion > UK House prices rise... again!

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TinklePantsGOLD Member
Clique Infiltrator, Cunning Linguist and Master Debator
4,219 posts
Location: Edinburgh burgh burrrrrr, United Kingdom


Posted:
How on earth is anyone with a "less than average" income supposed to get on to the property ladder in this country? It's getting really ridiculous. The typical cost of a home is now £217,580, according to rightmove.co.uk, and has risen £6k the last month!

It's worse in towns and cities. I cannot afford to buy my own place. All I want is a 3 bedroomed house with a decent sized garden for the kids. My only option is to turn to the council, but with everyone using their "right to buy" their council houses, then selling them on, there is a shortage of them here in Inverness. They've introduced a scheme, which says you can only buy your council house if you have been in it for something like five years or more.

It doesn't look like they'll be building anymore soon either as real estate developers have bought up most of the land, and new houses are going for between £140k - £215k. Even people with decent incomes are struggling to get a morgage for this extortionate amount.

I remember about 8 years ago, my cousin's mum moved house, and they sold theirs (an ex council 3 bedrommed house may I add) for around £40k.

Whatever happened to the days when a community would band together and build houses? They were lost centuries ago, now all the money hungry developers are making millions off us, and the people on the low end of the income scale have to live in crowded flats. Myself, my two girls and their Dad all live in a 1 bedroomed flat in the centre of Inverness. We have no way to get out of this flat and still live in Inverness.

I might as well live in a caravan. Oh I can't even afford one of them either!

Always use "so's your face" and "only on Tuesdays" in as many conversations possible


The Tea FairySILVER Member
old hand
853 posts
Location: Behind you...


Posted:
hug

I vote we all move to Spain and France where houses are still comparatively affordable. My sister is about to buy her first house in Spain, they've found some gorgeous old town building that they're applying to convert into two flats. Don't know how much it costs, but my sis is only 27 and she's well on her way to the first rung of the property ladder.

I read somewhere the average age to own your first house is 32. I'm 23, I really hope I don't have to wait 10 more years to own a house. Rent is so expensive too, and we seem to end up moving every year or two which costs a bomb every time. I give my landlord over £7,000 a year. In two years he'll sell the place I call home and we'll have to move house so he can p*ss off to Spain and retire. My last landlord did exactly the same too. It's so unfair!

Idolized by Aurinoko

Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind....

Bob Dylan


Mr MajestikSILVER Member
coming to a country near you
4,696 posts
Location: home of the tiney toothy bear, Australia


Posted:
yeah prices in australia are rediculous. in Tas they're supposedly the cheapest in australia, so mainlanders come over here and buy a house to rent out and pay more than we can afford for them and make all the prices go up. its total bu****it.

"but have you considered there is more to life than your eyelids?"

jointly owned by Fire_Spinning_Angel and Blu_Valley


linden rathenGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
6,942 posts
Location: London, UK


Posted:
do what i intend to do .. live in a tent wink

tink - be glad your in inverness - im in london my rent for one room in a flat is £110 per week...... i think ill be close to retirement before i can get on the property ladder...

back


EeraBRONZE Member
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia


Posted:
It's getting back to the situation of 2 generations ago when no-one expected to own their house and people rented perpetually.

UK house prices were one of the reasons I moved back to Australia, and then to Mackay where finding reasonably priced housing is increasingly impossible.

My partner's unit has doubled in price in 18 months; he bought for $140,000, the one next door is on the market for $270,000. When we decided to rent it out we had three strangers ring us before we even advertised it, apparently estate agents will have up to 20 people fighting for the same property. Our fibro hi-set increases in value by $1000 *per month*.

Of course, this is all great for us as we're well on the property ladder, but I had to move countries and up-end my life completely to do so, I feel for you guys so much.

There is a slight possibility that I am not actually right all of the time.


steaksSILVER Member
former manc tour guide
1,909 posts
Location: Manchester, United Kingdom


Posted:
I have a friend who at 24 is well and truely on the propertly lader.
Granted she owns an old 2up - 2down terrest town house that has been converted into a 3 bed room house of a decent size. But it is costing her a fortune to turn it into something more habitable than a building site. The plus side is it was a bargin at £30,000 so (with a little help from her mum) she doesnt have to worry about a morgage, she owns it, lock, stock and barrell.
She is amoung a very small minority of people that are in such a privilaged possition.

Owned by the lovely SNOOPoi
Owner of Clarence_Quack


TinklePantsGOLD Member
Clique Infiltrator, Cunning Linguist and Master Debator
4,219 posts
Location: Edinburgh burgh burrrrrr, United Kingdom


Posted:
Ok so I'll share my dream with you now.
I want to build a community, where people have old fashioned values, helping each other out, trading with each other, just like an era before modern technology. Not creating pollution and refuse, recycling, living in harmony with the earth. far away from all the greyness of the city, and away from the chavs!

Does this sound too far fetched?

Always use "so's your face" and "only on Tuesdays" in as many conversations possible


DeepSoulSheepGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland


Posted:
No. There are many communities in New Zealand and presumably many other places. Try searching for the rainbow community or tui community...dunno if you'll find anything though.

Check out www.thevillage.ie

Many people do what the village has done on a much smaller scale. Buy land with friends and help each other to build your houses. There are many ways to do this using volunteers who'll work for free etc if you use alternate building materials... look up "earth building", "straw bale" etc...

Nowhere in my hitchhikers guide to the galaxy does it say that you have to own a house or land?

I had a good friend who's opinion I value huugggeely tell me that she had figured out that buying a home is just another part of the trap.

She didn't elaborate and I didn't pursue it but I'm guessing she's talking about the debt that people put themselves in even if they can get that huge mortgage.

Ireland is worse than England pricewise so I feel your pain. Don't obsess to much about it though. smile

Play the lotto! It could be you!

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.


The Tea FairySILVER Member
old hand
853 posts
Location: Behind you...


Posted:
Solas i think your friend is right, is definitely part of the trap. I'd actually be happy with renting if
1) it was cheaper than mortgage repayments (which it's not really) and
2) If I was allowed to feel more secure and at home in my rented house e.g. if my contract was longer, if i could redecorate a room or two, get rid of the crappy shower that doesn't work and have a small kitten smile

Tinklepants, it IS possible to start a communal housing project! My old Yoga instructor and his wife fought for ages to set up something like this in Gloucestershire. They bought some land and planned to build about 10 affordable housing units on it so people living there get their own little house, but there's a communal garden where they all grow their own food, communal wash areas, kitchen and dining areas.

The council opposed the plans for ages, one dude on the council argued 'I just do not understand why people would want to live together, eat together and do their washing together, it makes no sense to me.' ubblol

I'm not sure if it ever got off the ground properly though, think my instructor ended up going back to India so it could've all fallen through.

Idolized by Aurinoko

Take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind....

Bob Dylan


TinklePantsGOLD Member
Clique Infiltrator, Cunning Linguist and Master Debator
4,219 posts
Location: Edinburgh burgh burrrrrr, United Kingdom


Posted:
Just before i left primary school, There was a school trip the National history museum of wales, at St Fagans, near Cardiff.

our tour took us from the celtic village right up to houses from modern day life, but it was the celtic village that enchanted me. The thought of living like that, without the complexities of modern day living, the warriors of our past, the magical connection with the old ways.... i could go on but I'd probably bore you ... I even remember the smell inside the round houses in the celtic village.

Anyway, there are a few "experiments" i know of like this dotted around, and they intrigue me!

i want to reconnect with my roots, being Welsh and having a national anthem titled "land of my fathers", its feels like its in my blood to do it.

But, of course, I doubt i could go without the mod cons for too long. How else would I get onto HoP? wink

Always use "so's your face" and "only on Tuesdays" in as many conversations possible


FireTomStargazer
6,650 posts

Posted:
 Written by: TinklePants

Whatever happened to the days when a community would band together and build houses? They were lost centuries ago, now all the money hungry developers are making millions off us, and the people on the low end of the income scale have to live in crowded flats. Myself, my two girls and their Dad all live in a 1 bedroomed flat in the centre of Inverness. We have no way to get out of this flat and still live in Inverness.

I might as well live in a caravan. Oh I can't even afford one of them either!



Besides the fact, that you are perfectly right with everythig stated, I'd like to add that the housing situation in Europe is one of the best worldwide. The conditions under which some Hong Kong, Indian, Chinese, African, ... phew to many to list ... citizens live is WORSE.

This is the problem that many share - we do not like the system, hence we have to cope with it in the best manner possible, as we find it hard to break it.

I hope you find a solution to this problem, maybe house-sharing is one, IF you know the "right people" to live with...

hug good luck

the best smiles are the ones you lead to wink


DeepSoulSheepGOLD Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
2,617 posts
Location: Berlin, Ireland


Posted:
At www.thevillage.ie they have broadband. It's a planned community and not at all the same as some hippy commune or something.

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.



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