All old people should sell up family homes for families.

Yes, my father had a retirement flat and we were lucky to sell it as easily as we did when he died. They can be impossible to sell, and often lose value. And have clauses against sub-letting as well.

If someone odes buy a retirement flat, it is better to find a second hand one to avoid depreciation and preferably with the right to sub-let so if you can't sell, you can rent.

All this could easily be dealt with by legislation though, and the Competition and Markets Authority has had some success in making leases fairer and removing some of the high charges, but not completely and some changes need legislation.

Much better idea than paying IHT!

People take issue with IHT - but in effect it's a tax on hoarding. So spend (most of) your money before you die, and your heirs won't pay it. I know sometimes it's locked away in the value of properties but that's the more reason to find something smaller and enjoy life. If you can find something smaller.

There are those "villages" for older people with assisted living but then they rip them off with high charges and the properties are hard to sell on so this May put others off doing the same

If I stay on my street in my terraced house and grow old here, and all my neighbours do the same - I know them all pretty well - then that would answer the social isolation problem, wouldn’t it?

The problem we all have is the stairs. I’d maybe like to do something like a two-flat conversion (and live downstairs) but wouldn’t know where to start. Too much crap, too much red tape, too few available and affordable tradespeople …

The only circumstances this should apply should be council houses in my opinion. The property isn't theirs and should be provided to meet their needs. If families with children need to pay extra for any bedroom over occupied, or can only bid on properties with X number of bedrooms because the government have declared they only need X then the same should apply for older people.
The problem is there aren't enough 1 and 2 bed council properties and the criteria is daft. So the family in a 2 bed that needs 4 can't have the 3 bed property that an older widow is in.

Agree with this so much even as a young person myself. Me and my fiancée love our flat. It's affordable, small and our lovely space together. My grandparents have a house on Eastbourne Seafront. It's stunning. My friend has remarked before about it being left behind in the will. I'd rather have my tiny flat and my grandparents here, alive, well and living in it. The same friend is always desperate for handouts, has no work ethic and dismisses every opportunity that comes her way as it's too much effort when it comes to earning things yourself.

I'd rather live in a tent than put my family in what was an elderly couples family home where they've created all of their memories, invested all their money and time. People aren't just entitled to what other people have because they have kids & deciding the elderly should have to justify their need for their own homes is a new level of appalling. Hate the lack mindset that's so prominent in our society that it's assumed elderly people having a large and spacious home is a luxury they must be stripped of. The country's fucked.

It's definitely something I will be exploring once I get to retirement (some time away yet). If it's the choice of living alone in my own home, in a house with another elderly person so we can support each other or living in a care home I'd definitely choose living with someone else. Just because it's not the norm, doesn't make it wrong. I'm not saying everyone should do it but it's a practical solution to social isolation, practical support and a lack of housing. Nothing wrong with doing things a bit differently.

I didn't say it should be enforced on everyone just that more people should do it.

I didn't say with strangers did I? It could be with friends, siblings, friends of friends.

Grandparents have a three bed house. Started disturbing each other when sleeping so are now using two of the bedrooms to each get some rest. Third now taken as my aunt has moved in to provide care.

So... no?

If people own their home then they can do what they like with it - and if that means one person living in a mansion, then so be it. What gives anyone the right to tell others what they should do with their own house?

😘

And very well said Purple - it's time these youngsters brought up on SM myths learned a bit of actual 'reality'.

Thankfully my own young adult DS isn't like that having been through more than enough unecessary hardship and unfairness already (via SEN).

Therefore I'm also thinking of selling up completely, pay off small mortgage, give most to DS to get him into a property of his own, setting up his support and just as Wanda suggests use the balance to go off 'travelling' before I get old, old.

Actually maybe all 'old people' should sell up and use the money to go travelling or spend it all before they die and not leave any inheritance?

And yes, I am actively putting the 'feelers' out to those I know in similar positions that maybe we (?) should all buy a large property together and split it into individual properties whilst supporting each other as we grow old.

I'm nearly 61 and truly need my own 'space' too, just like a few people I know who aren't random to me at all.

The main hindrance to this concept is location and commitments - by the age of 60 it's pretty rare not to have any - so where could this property be?

This. ^ Some vile posts on a few threads this week. Saying all older people should basically fuck off and die. (Give their home to someone younger first though!)

And of course they had it made as younger people! Never suffered, never worked hard, had shit handed to them on a plate, never struggled financially, never struggled to pay their mortgage, never had high mortgage rates, and found raising their kids a piece of piss because they had soooooooo much surplus cash, and all essential electrical goods were sooooooooo much cheaper, and everyone was just tickety boo!

Fucking clueless ignoramuses. NONE of the above is true/WAS true for most people. When will this batshit myth ever fuck off?! That all people born mid 1960s or earlier had an easy fucking ride.

It is true that no matter if you own, rent private or social that you can only down or up size depending on what's available.

Generally, bungalows are expensive because they use land inefficiently; whilst I understand the reasons for them in pre-tech times, it now isn't the only option for those of us who are aged or physically disabled. I cant see a reason why I couldn't downsize to a smaller house and get a stairlift (eg) to get me up the stairs if needed.

Less House, More Light, Garden Essential, Mortgage Free is my Mantra.
I'm currently 60, due to retire on State Pension at 67.

@Remotecontrolatmyside · Today 20:07

I think more elderly people should live together so they can support each other and give each other company. Life is easier when you have a community. This would have the added bonus of sharing bills so would be cheaper and would also free up homes so less house building would be needed so we'd all have more green spaces.

PMSL 😆 YEAH SURE ... I am sure YOU will be doing that when you're 60!

In the world of fantasy and TV and the movies this works beautifully, in real life it would be a fucking nightmare. As @JudgeAnderson so beautifully put it......

I'd rather pour bleach in my eyes than share a living space with a bunch of randoms, why would I suddenly like the idea just because I'm old?

Putting aside moral issues, where are older people meant to go?

Well there are some people who'd quite like the older generation to just hurry up and die. There were several posts expressing this sentiment (or at least barely disguising it) on another thread earlier this week.

My husband and I owned a large home not suitable for our retirement. We bought a derelict bungalow and now have a rather glorious house overlooking the Thames with 5 bedrooms one of which is on the ground floor. The present study could easily become a carer’s bedroom. Our house remains family sized because we love having all our family together.

I think more elderly people should live together so they can support each other and give each other company

I'd rather pour bleach in my eyes than share a living space with a bunch of randomers, why would I suddenly like the idea just because I'm old?

I did my time in a houseshare when I was young. I won't be going back to living with other people underfoot.

I never understand this idea but it seems to be suggested a lot.

Putting aside moral issues, where are older people meant to go? There isn't anywhere near enough suitable housing for them even if they do want to move.

There are two couples on my road (all 4 bed detached houses with big gardens) who wanted to downsize last year but 3 bed bungalows cost more (around £600k) than their houses (£500k).

One of the 3 bed bungalows that sold last summer has now been torn down and someone is building a 4 bed house there.