All old people should sell up family homes for families.

Op isn't suggesting anything. Op is asking people who keep suggesting it about how they envision this would work

This is a huge issue in my village. We have loads of old couples stuck in huge 4-6 bed detached houses which they no longer want to maintain, BUT the village has no 1-2 bed bungalows anymore (because property speculators bought them all up, knocked em down and build tall ‘townhouses’ on the land).

The old people are keen to downsize but won’t leave the community where they’ve lived for decades, to go off to some overpriced retirement village in the middle of nowhere where they know no one. Why should they? Will you?

The real issue is that salaries haven’t kept pace with the property market, which has shot up since the 1980s because foreign investors, mostly Russian/Arab, have been allowed to use UK properties as a safe space to park their money to dodge political uncertainties back home. If the government had clamped down on foreign ownership and second homes long ago, and raised public sector salaries instead of impoverishing the country through crap management and Brexit etc etc things would be very different.

Once I know what my children willl be doing I plan to downsize. I wouldn't want the maintenance and heating costs of a large house just to keep for the sake of occasional visits.

It's not their responsibility to house families. Why would anyone think the elderly should give up their houses because others chose to have children they can't house?

yes- but the OP is suggesting a world where the state steps in. Plus all (ALL) the threads about how private education is immoral and should be abolished ditto private health etc. Ad naueseum.

100% disagree, if you've bought your home it's yours to live in for as long as you see fit.

I do think that changes should be made to social housing though. For example MIL is in a 3 bedroom house that she has had since her DC were young, they all moved out more than 20 years ago so I find it ridiculous that she can stay there indefinitely rather than move to a retirement complex etc.

People who say old people should move out of their family homes to free them up for young families never bother to suggest where, exactly, the older people should be moving to. There is a desperate shortage of smaller homes, and many old people who need support (e.g. assisted or warden-controlled living) have nothing on offer near where they live, so their only option would be to move away from their friends and all their familiar services. Because social care and assisted living is left to "the market", nearly all available options are fraudulent and absolutely all are beyond the means of most people. My mum (90) would love to move out of her 3-bedroomed house but she can't find anywhere to go that doesn't involve being robbed.

We've downsized to two beds, one is very small if anyone suggested to me that we should move to a one bed they would be told to fuck right off and mind their own business.

Most people won't be able to answer, OP. Not with realistic idea and visual, because there is none

I've thought this many times. I live in an area of wealthy old people. I see families packed into two bed terraces. One old couple live in a place big enough for two large families (thankfully they see this and have handed over some to a Ukrainian family). I see the injustice daily. Then the old complain about heating bills. I also know, further afield, elderly couples with pennies and small flats who also suffer. It's less ageism than the selfish wealthy. However, I'm committed to freedom to do/spend as one wishes so would not live in a society that would rule against this. But I do really wonder what goes on in the head of these wealthy sorts. They can't love knocking around in these huge places paying people to clean them.

This post is not worthy of an intelligent response!

I have already picked the area I want my ground floor apartment to be in when I retire. Good location with tonnes of lovely walks, a sports centre and lovely swimming pool, in the centre of a very vibrant town with great pubs and restaurants. My husband agrees completely too. My house would be very difficult to live in as an elderly person, far, far too much work. I have a few very elderly neighbours who are confined to quite small areas of the downstairs of their nice homes with very unmanageable overgrown gardens that their adult children try to firefight in managing.

On the other hand many of my close to retirement age work colleagues are selling up the family homes they brought up their families in and are moving on to something much more manageable and energy efficient.

It is a mind set shift that we need to happen but obviously it should be a free choice.

If I were to downsize, I would be competing with young families for the "starter homes" that are in such short supply in my area.

And I'm not ready to give up the steady supply of fruit and vegetables (some of which I can't buy, like mulberries) that I wouldn't be able to grow in the smaller garden that would come with a smaller property.

There should be fewer government incentives for first time buyers, and people who wish to downsize should be helped to do so if they need it. Build more bungalows instead of 4 bed detached executive homes and older people might be encouraged to move out of family homes they’re struggling to manage. Stamp duty and similar costs can be a blocker - not everyone has tons of equity in their houses.

I am of the opinion that barring criminal use the state should butt out of what people chose to spend their own disposable income on. That includes their houses. Or private education. Or private healthcare.

They are butted out of all those things aren't they? Am I missing something?

My husband and I live in a four bed home ..both children now adults
So we could downsize...but it costs quite a lot to move ...if you'd like to pay my costs and do all the paperwork and take on the stress of the process of buying and selling never mind the sadness of leaving a home we've lived in for over 30 years ...yup I'll downsize !!!

You can't really expect an elderly person to move, when they've built up friends and a social life where they live. Also with dementia, it's better they stay somewhere they're familiar with. The truth is we're over populated and people are living for longer. its going to get worse. We will end up like China, where most people will live in apartments. Only the super rich will be able to afford an actual house.

we (the UK as a whole) need to build a MASSIVE number of new homes. more mansion flats in cities with good sound insulation, more townhouses for families, more large houses and small houses and houses near good public transport. And most importantly, more council houses or shared ownership homes that are affordable.

shuffling the existing stock of houses between old / young or owner / renters is not going to solve the massive shortage of properties.

Don't care how old I am I'm never leaving my family home
As I get older and my children move out I'd always want a place for them to call home and come home to if they ever need to
Also same goes for my grandchildren.

If they want to stay in their home who's right is it to say otherwise
If I worked hard my whole like and purchased my home why would I want to leave because my kids no longer live there?

Sounds ridiculous to me

I think there should be more houses and flats built/created, with varying numbers of bedrooms, so that when people <want> to move, there’s scope to do so.

I have mobility issues, but I also have children who are likely to be at home for a very long time. I’d love a bungalow or a flat with 3 bedrooms, but they’re non-existent. So I’m stuck in a three bed house, with a massive garden that’s bugger all use to me.

Anyone want my garden? It’s about thirty metres long and would make a cracking allotment. 🤷‍♀️

How old is old though? Should my sister, who is in her 70s, not have a house big enough for her children and grandchildren to stay? Old people have families too!!

I don’t think anyone thinks this should really happen, hence no details.

It’s just frustration at the market. I don’t think it’s because anyone is trying to be clever.

I am of the opinion that barring criminal use the state should butt out of what people chose to spend their own disposable income on. That includes their houses. Or private education. Or private healthcare.

It's up to the individual to decide.
Personally I plan to downsize from my 4 bed semi to a 2 bed flat/bungalow once dc leave because I'm a single, disabled parent who can't work so rely on an ill health pension and benefits (which will be minimal once dc leave home). I don't want to be a burden (physically or mentally) to my children and therefore will buy something that is easy to maintain. I currently only live downstairs so when dc leave I'll have 3 bedrooms and a bathroom unused. So financially and physically it makes sense for me to do so but I wouldn't judge others.
When I worked in community care there were many elderly people who struggled to physically and financially look after their large family homes I don't want to end up like that. So will do it in my 50s while I'm still able.

I’ve been told that I was selfish for buying a home that a family could use. They had the same opportunity to do so and indeed it fell through twice with families pulling out, so.

And even if it hadn’t, what, I should be required to live in a tiny flat for my entire life for not being one of the proper naice family households?

That logic can do one, frankly.