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Original poster

To think you shouldn't expect to buy a home on a single salary?

462 replies

Fivebedexecutivehome · 22/07/2024 10:29

Genuinely interested in people's thoughts.

There's no doubt there's a shortage of appropriate housing in the UK, and that prices make home ownership for many people on average salaries.

But I find a lot of reporting about the topic weird- lots of interviews with people who seem to want to buy a property by themselves.

most recent one on BBC but not unique:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7209lk8x2wo

My husband and I managed to get on the housing ladder a few years ago, early/mid thirties, both full time with a combined income of about 75k at the time, had been saving for about a decade towards deposit, plus a couple of grand from each of our parents to get it over the line. Got in towards the bottom end of the market of the (south eastern) town we live in.

I recognise both of us are quite privileged in lots of ways - having a bit of family support and salaries in the 30ks and 40ks. But there's no way either of us would have been able to ever buy a property by ourselves. But there's 68 million people in this country, surely the expectation can't be that everyone wants to buy a property themselves? And surely that's never been the expectation previously?

Emma Harris wearing glasses and a green floral top against a white wall

Renters face affordability block to buying a home

Renters are four times less likely than current owners to be able to afford a home, research suggests.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7209lk8x2wo

OP posts:
OneRingToRuleThemAll · 22/07/2024 10:37

I'm the sole owner of my flat (DH moved in, but doesn't own it). It was bought on one salary.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 22/07/2024 10:37

I think a working single person should be able to buy at least a modest one bed flat. I think work should pay enough to live on (not necessarily in luxurious style) and if it doesn't people are justified in asking what is the point.

SonicTheHodgeheg · 22/07/2024 10:36

I think that it’s not unreasonable to think that somebody who works full time should be able to buy a home eventually . Location and size will obviously depend on salary but it is crazy that someone who has been paying £1200 per month on rent isn’t able to buy a property where the mortgage is say £1000 per month.

I think that there’s a lot of households where one person is paying the mortgage for dependents and that’s no different to a single person buying for themselves. In this case they probably need more bedrooms so can’t buy the cheaper properties like studio flat.

Wotcher · 22/07/2024 10:36

I bought my ex out of our house even though the value had increased by 37%. I can think of at least 5 friends who have bought houses on their own. One has since moved a partner into their house a number of years after buying it, but the rest still live alone. I’m sure there’s more if I thought hard enough.

GreatSave · 22/07/2024 10:36

This reply has been deleted

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HomelessAngua · 22/07/2024 10:36

So if you are single you are second class?

I was single for ages and bought - to the detriment of a good pension..

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 22/07/2024 10:36

My son has bought one. 2 years ago.

Is he supposed to live in rented until he finds a gf.?

LibertyDuck · 22/07/2024 10:36

I'm single as are two of my close friends. We're all homeowners on average salaries. It's not really a problem in the real world.

CleanShirt · 22/07/2024 10:35

I'm buying (albeit a tiny flat) on my own post divorce. The mortgage payments are just manageable but renting would have killed me!

Superscientist · 22/07/2024 10:35

Our first house was one we could have both bought on our own. I'm was 6 months post graduation in a new role and my partner was moving to a new job we wanted the freedom to not be tied to a job that wasn't right.
Our current house we could afford on one salary but we would still have needed both salaries on the application to afford it.
It depends on what housing you are looking at but I don't think it's unreasonable for single people wanting to be able to buy a home on their own.

namechange1986 · 22/07/2024 10:34

What utter nonsense.

Jellycatspyjamas · 22/07/2024 10:34

I’m a single parent buying my own home - what are people meant to do if they don’t have a partner?

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