All old people should sell up family homes for families.

There aren’t often suitable homes to downsize to. The bungalows built near us are as expensive as a family 4 bed.

No, the government needs to have a plan to get sufficient housing built - it isn't up to older people to unfuck general fuckups that the government have not bothered with. I live in a 4 bed new build: 4 of us plus dog. When my dc go to university in 3 years, am I expected to vacate the house that I paid for? Ridiculous.

I live in a terraced area, people run the charging wire over the pavement with a rubber mat over it. Entirely do-able.

Same as a lot of generations did b for them rent.

But rents are extortionate now & there is far less social housing then I was young.

And there won't be this mass emigration,

I never said there would be mass emigration but we will lose more of our "talent" to other countries like we are seeing with healthcare workers now. Houses are expensive in many areas but many areas have higher wages & lower taxes/more incentives.
My dc have European passports & i'm fully encouraging them to look elsewhere as they get older.

I wonder if the Asian tradition of extended families living together makes more sense.

I grew up in multigen house. So did many of my friends. It's not just Asian style.

Uk houses are not made for this though. They are small, usually small rooms with lack of storage, you can hear a neighbour fart and so on.

what Would they downsize to?

good question. We’re living longer and have more health issues, disabilities and/or mobility issues as we age. And our housing stock mostly isn’t as easily adaptable as it should be.

most older people don’t think about downsizing soon enough before these issues become a problem.

im in my 30s and i know I can’t age here because of the access (15 steps) and garden access (10steps) unless im very lucky and very careful to keep up my health, strength and flexibility and/or strength figure out a good way to make easier access into my home.

What I hope to see happen is more sheltered housing and over 60s style housing that’s smaller in size so easier to clean and manage, wider doorways to accommodate wheelchairs, slightly wider staircases to accommodate stair lifts, flat access from the street, small functional garden spaces that are easier to maintain.

we need much more in the middle ground between living In your home Vs care home. We need more of those lower support type places.

People who say that just sound dumb to me.

You'd better hope your parents or in turn you don't need care as unless they/you have a lot of savings. the home will have to be sold to pay for care. Unless it's written in. trust (although I've seen quite a few suggestions that that doesn't always mean you don't have to sell the home to pay care home fees).

Yes really they should all have the good grace to die at 60 (or would you prefer 55?) And clear off so the young folk can have their stuff.

After all its not like the young folk will ever get old. Will they?

@watersprites what do you mean by “productive”?

No, we need our houses with drives so we can plug in our electric cars and room for our ASHPs

@escapingthecity ·
What about those family homes where different generations can gather together for Christmas and celebrations?

We used to have one; that used to be us. We were the hub centre for family occasions, friends and family holidays. Multiple guest 12 overnight? Dinner for 12, party for 100 catered by me? No probs, bring a friend, and their babies and dogs. Gorgeous location ,great views.

Then we sold iup and downsized to a smaller place, perfectly suited to TWO, and the rest of our lives, fitted out for our future decrepitude. No stairs; walk/wheel in wetroom with seat. A different gorgeous location with great views. This one is on a bus route, easy access to all amenities, services, medical care and paid help. One twin guest bedroom and guest bathroom. Dining kitchen can seat 5 at table.

Our children now have large family homes with multiple bedrooms in exciting locations. They are the hosts for holidays, celebrations and large family occasions; we go to their parties. We're the carefree guests who turn up with a bottle and walk away leaving someone else to clear up the mess. It's great.

Planning your best old age takes far more skill thought and time than planning a wedding. A wedding only lasts one day. Retirement lasts decades.

Think on, grasshoppers.

My husband and I are desperate to sell our family home and downsize to a bungalow.

Can't find any and we're just relying on the elderly to go into care homes or die?!

So many have been snapped by younger folk or people with property portfolios and these bungalows are immediately extended upwards and outwards.

The point that has been missed here is that families crammed into to-small terraces aren't in that position because there's a shortage of larger houses all occupied by the elderly. It's because they can't afford the larger houses. Families with greater means will indeed be in the bigger houses.

Why should people give up a home that they have lived in all their adult lives. Moving is very stressful, costs a lot of money (stamp duty, legal fees, moving costs). Why should older people have to endure this (for many the stress would be unbearable).

people really are stupid at times.

@Needmorelego I don't understand your question? I made the point that whether you inherit or not impacts more on your chances of owning a house than your job. How is that productive?

I don’t think this is a serious proposal. However, there is a reality that people now are living about 10 years longer than in the 1980s. This means that even without immigration and falling birth rates, the population increases and means that there is a shortage of houses for young families. Whereas people used to die in their 70s, over half of people now live till 86 and so continue to live mainly in family homes.

Even if there were no immigration, more houses would need to be built to accommodate young families. It is why nimbyism and the claim that ‘it’s always been hard’ is completely tone deaf. Due to increased life expectancy, the old structure is not working.

I wonder if the Asian tradition of extended families living together makes more sense. There are many English families where the grandparents live in large family houses and have a much better lifestyle in retirement while their children and grandchildren are in cramped accommodation, even with both parents working full-time. This damages the life chances of their grandchildren and the next generation.

Inheritance now happens more in people’s 60s, and so again concentrates wealth with the old. Increased life expectancy is great, but does have social consequences for the balance of society and fairness across the generations which we need to be able to discuss.

Same as a lot of generations did b for them rent.

And there won't be this mass emigration, houses are expensive everywhere ,where they going to, many country's are shutting their doors.

They absolutely do. Do you not read the papers, go on social media or talk to anyone under 45? It's the solution to the housing crisis, haven't you heard?

paying

I mean 60k today is the equivalent of about 35k in 2005 & yet you are now paying higher tax rates & many of the jobs that paid 35k then are not owing 60k now.

@watersprites so where are people working on minimum wage meant to live? Perhaps we could be provided with barracks or something?

i live in a small road of about 20 houses, in a small rural town with very very limited social housing

most of these houses have been bought privately but about 5 or 6 are still council owned. they're typical sturdy, 3 good bedrooms, big garden types

every single one of the council owned ones are occupied by single older people. their gardens are too big for them to manage and they struggle with their heating bills (i know this, we chat, we're a close community)

i absolutely don't think they should be occupying these family homes that are desperately needed for the low paid local families, who are instead housed in the shoddily built 80s flats with storage heaters and no insulation. There should be some campaign to upgrade the shitty flats and a big old house swap should happen. instead when the old people die their council houses are sold on the open market for £300k plus, this has happened twice in the last 3 years in our road. no new houses are built to replace them. and no improvements are done to the shitty flats

@Backtoreality1 People have lived through wars, recession etc throughout history and been resilient enough to move forward. So sick of the 'poor me' syndrome that seems so prevalent now.

The war is often cited by people whose parents were adults in it but were either not born or young children at the time. People who actually lived through it then went on to effect a huge housing boom because they all wanted a decent home to have a family in.

Poor me syndrome is a convenient way of dismissing the generational inequality that sees today's young people paying taxes to fund benefits for older people they won't ever have themselves, when those older people often have more disposable wealth than younger taxpayers (not just very young people, people in 30s/40s/50s who should be at peak earning).

That's not whinging, it's reality.

@Pluvia oh f off. Tell me how someone on minimum wage can be able to afford to buy a house?
My daughter is autistic btw. Not relevant to this thread but her future is uncertain and will be hard and she will need a secure place to live. If my parents can provide that through passing their house to me, and me to her then we are very very lucky and it makes me less terrified for her future.