All old people should sell up family homes for families.

The problem with that is that they won’t buy a smaller property, they will rent one so then there’s a shortage in council flats, & bungalows.

Nah. DH and I have recently made the decision we are here for the long term. Been here 20 years, and just upgraded the entire house, which still had all the original 1990's bathrooms etc. Anyway, 5 bedrooms, two kids, but one already moved out, and the other will finish uni next year.

DH has his bedroom, I have mine. We then each have a study/general/guest room. That's four rooms spoken for. 1 room is spare for DD2 when she comes home.

Big garden, which I love maintaining. Just about to invest in a greenhouse.

We are now late 50's, will be here at least another 20 years.

@milveycrohn I'm not saying you should, it's just the "I can't afford stamp duty" argument is weak.

Yes what about the properly rich people?, will Tamara Ecclestone have to vacate her mega mansion for a 1 bed flat so some deserving family with kids can have her place? I’m guessing not, it’s just normal people who are expected to hand over the home they have bought and paid for.

Downsizing from our three bedroom semi would necessitate moving into a flat. Bungalows are horrendously expensive where I live.

I have a better idea, which is that young parents with more children than bedrooms, could downsize their family to fit their accommodation.
Just sell the surplus children.

I reckon there will be hot commercial demand from busy childless persons whose career leaves no time/opportunity for pregnancy and chestfeeding.. They'd leap at the chance to buy a ready-made child that's already toilet trained, big enough to help around the house, walk the dog, do a little ironing.

We have converted bedrooms into an office, a den , a walk in wardrobe and my business / design room. no room is wasted. People ask us all the time what we do with empty rooms ? There is a couple who live opposite 2 bed no kids noone asks them what they do with their spare room ! . It does seem to be something to do with size of house .

@watersprites
"surely being in London you have significant equity?"
But why would I move away from all my family and friends?

Well said you and me both.

If a couple with kids wanted my house they should have bought it before me. If they cant afford it, they should have saved up before having kids first. 😁

The NHS & care sector doesn't have the workforce or the resources to cope with the ageing population. Things are going to get ££££

As you get older opportunities to make friends and support networks dwindle why should anyone forced out of the place where they have memories and know their community to be dumped somewhere new just waiting to die?

If you are keen to move you need to monitor websites closely/ daily and register for property alerts and contact Estate Agents immediately before others have done so.

From my real life observation it tends to be married happily childless career couples who are hoarding 3/4 bed 'family' houses even though its just the 2 of them (and maybe a pet) and they have no plan to have anyone else live there at any point.

And I'll continue to enjoy my four bedroomed house with just DH and I in it, thanks very much.
We are however selling up in a few months and I certainly won't turn down an offer from a family with children.

However to balance that we'll then be depriving a family/local/downsizer/blah blah delete as applicable where we move to, with our selfish childless house-hogging ways.

Every new build estate I have ever seen has about 2 bungalows maximum built on it, that's it. On my 1980's built estate people have added second storeys to the bungalows that were there. Why should people who have worked hard all their lives give up their gardens and houses when there is nothing nice for them to move into in their local areas. The issue is not older people not moving, it's a lack of investment in decent rental properties and social housing by the government for decades.

I'm not moving from freehold to leasehold. Ever. Not in England.

It’s certainly an issue where my parents live - affluent, rural area. But tbh only well-off boomers seem to be able to buy the properties whenever they do come on the market.

my parents - two of them in a 4 bed cottage. My mum has a whole room just for sewing in.

next door - single, widowed lady living in a large 5 bed.

up the hill - retired couple living in an enormous new-ish build: 6 bed, several living spaces etc.

having said that, they all love their homes, their big gardens and having space for family to stay.

@DeliciouslyDecadent they were live in at some point. Why is it a rip off?

The people I know were having it partially funded by social care and it cost the family around £8 an hour. 4 hours a day.

I don't think people realise the huge shift we are going through. The above is just not viable when so many will need support.

Not sure, my parents just bought a new house for £1.2m and the downstairs is bigger than our whole house! And we are a growing family!

If they did give it up I’m not convinced it would be a family who would the house as not many people in their 20/30s with kids could afford that.

Managing a large house in Old age can be difficult and many older people do downsize.

There are plenty of houses currently available on Rightmove for families/ everyone. Although you might have to wait if you want to live in a particular road or have other specific requirements.

My parents occupy a large 4 bed but they’ve worked hard for it and they use it. They have friends come to stay all the time. They have grandchildren come and stay regularly. They use one of the spare rooms as a gym and one as an office the rest of the time. I think they’re utilising the whole house really but they’re still working and only in their early 60’s. I imagine they will want to downsize once they get older and all the stairs become an issue and they don’t need the home office anymore. I think people with this view just look at the beds not being occupied every single night and jump to the unreasonable conclusion that means they don’t use the space at all.

Yes, I’d heard of this, but I anticipate continuing using our cross-trainer daily - my Dad used one every day and kept very fit despite living in a bungalow- he was 102 and still active right up to his final illness.

Are wealthy young people allowed to live in houses too big for them, or is it just old people?

@watersprites So they were paying around £2K a week for carers to come into their home? Sounds like a rip off.

The people I know were having it partially funded by social care and it cost the family around £8 an hour. 4 hours a day.

@Superpinkflowerpower TROTTED OUT?

Trotted out as though it's a good thing that I advocate for? Sorry, no.

Anyone who thinks it's guaranteed that their 90+ parents can live at home forever needs a reality check, unless they are able to be there 24/7 (or close). Sure, some elderly people die quietly in their own homes but lots need significant support when it gets too much for other family members to cope with. That's just the reality?

I'm sure there are lots of elderly people who die quietly at home without needing serious care beforehand, and I think they are very lucky. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that others (like my grandparents) aren't as lucky?

Yep it happens quite often. local Councils don't give 2 shits about tennents if they had their way they would sell off all the housing stock. In my area I'd say about 50% of the 2 bed council flats have single professionals in them as the tennants sub let . Councils don't have clue who their actual tennants are in some cases.