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

It depends on how big your single salary is!

This! a million times.

There are so many desriptions here of how many bought small when youngish. But how many stayed in small properties? Many people go on to meet DPs and need larger homes to house their dc, and often their lies the crux - not everything turns out well - then how does this upsized HH divide into 2?

Again, my maths might be wrong, but a basic perusal of the circumstances indicates to me that if you're single and manage to buy then the best way to stay in your home is don't procreate and keep your relationships off your Deeds.

I think if you read the article she’s seeking to buy in London! The bottom line here really is that you have to cut your cloth to suit your means which may mean buying somewhere further out and commuting. It is perfectly to possible for many to buy, it’s just that they want to buy in expensive areas, they want to buy bigger than they can afford or they don’t want to go without the bells and whistles like a take away coffee every single morning on the way to work, the latest phone, Sky TV, etc. that would all have contributed toward a deposits when I bought my ex out of my old house I remember literally living on beans and toast at times… you do what you have to.

That being said, I accept that some people will be on lower paid employment. But I am a firm believer in if you push hard, take advantage of funding, etc. and educate yourself you can work your way into better pay over time.

I bought my first flat at 22 by myself, with a deposit saved myself. I was an nhs new grad so not a hugely paid position.

@Newsenmum I think that is already the reality for many.

Soon it’ll be “why do two people think they can afford a house? There always needs to be four of you living together.”

My OH died. Am I supposed to just go homeless?

I might be terribly wrong on my maths but if the national average salary is, say £30k, then many more people will earn less than that than the people that earn more. So, despite regional variations in the average salary, it seems to me that very few people earn enough above their local average wage to even consider buying a home, moreso if there's only one of them.

Exceptions and variations to the above 'rule' do exist, but in the main I think the above does apply.

Correct me please if my maths is wrong as it's not one of my strong points.

YABU. I'm in my 70's but even when I was young it was quite normal for a single woman to buy her own property. If there is just one of you its unlikely you'd want such a big property as a family.

in order to have a mid price there must be approximately 50% of properties below that price
Which presumably those people can afford

How do you know that?

I brought a 3 bed semi detached on my at the time £38k salary with a £17k deposit (10%) in 2020. Not it’s not impossible at all. Not in a shit hole either (probably couldn’t afford the same house now as I’ve renovated and now are going for about £50-70k more than I paid)

I bought my first tiny home on my salary. Not everyone can afford a‘five bed executive home’,

My daughter is 20 she’s in the process of buying a little terraced house by herself.

Also what are you on about?

OMG wouldn't my life be easier if I had a DP, but I'm too picky and quite frankly at nearly 62, I'm hardly a great catch myself; just as well.

I'd say that generally you're right OP, for the majority of people who can even consider buying, that hill becomes much steeper if there's only one of you.

I only got up the hill due to an inheritance in my 50s, 1/3rd of a house in the SE. I live in the SW so ended up with enough to have a meaty deposit that overlooked my low earnings (additional responsibilities for a disabled ds and an SP).

It's still a bit tough, scraping by to make the mortgage payments, repairs etc but it's way, way better than being beholden to a LL so I consider myself lucky.

those statistics are far from definitive, and, tbh, don't make much sense. They are based on the premise that:
"Millions of Britons are living in areas where they are unable to either buy or rent a mid-priced property."
key there is MID PRICED
in order to have a mid price there must be approximately 50% of properties below that price
Which presumably those people can afford.
Otherwise if all housing was out of budget for millions of people then we would have millions of homeless people. Which we don't. Overcrowded in some areas, yes. But also underoccupied in many others.

Many single people will be those living in places below the average price - because by the very nature of living alone you don't need as much space, and smaller homes are generally cheaper (comparing like for like, not a 3 bed detached in Hull to a 2 bed flat in Knightsbridge).

That chart works out affordability by cost of housing x income and says you can only afford to buy if 90% of your house = between 2.5 and 4.5 of your income.

Well, I couldn't have afforded my house on my income by that criteria - but I did manage to, by saving up for more than a 10% deposit.

It also says that if the cost of your house is more than 4.5x your salary you can't afford to buy but can afford to rent. However the house next door to me (identical to mine) just got rented out to a new occupier for more than 3 times my mortgage. So even with just a 10% deposit buying would be much more affordable.

I do need a room for a home office, it's not very professional having meetings with the CEO, CMO etc sat on the sofa, I also work from home 90% of the time so have to have it set up properly, I can't sit at the kitchen table 4/5 days a week 48 weeks a year. I also need a garden for the cats to go out in, they're not house cats.

So don't tell me what I need and don't need. You don't know my life.

Thankfully, I was able to buy somewhere with a spare room and garden but I will move to that big house in the country and live in it on my own just to piss people who think I shouldn't right off!

As for where they're being built, if Labour has their way on the bloody greenbelt! My town has had 5 new estates in the past 12 years.

This guy is probably also paying child support out of his wage.

It’s this kind of attitude that sees people shack up in toxic relationships for the wrong reasons.

This is a horribly couple-centric view point. Single people aren’t second class citizens who don’t deserve their own homes. Stop being smug.

But you used to be able to easily. Yes obviously prices have gone up drastically but that doesn’t mean it’s right.

my first office junior job paid 10k and I bought a house for 32k. Decades ago. Feel sorry for younger people.

I’m buying a house on my own, I don’t have a partner so what am I meant to do, stay renting? Just because you were lucky enough to find a husband and buy a house doesn’t mean everyone is.

Me too!! It’s really not fair

However single men were discriminated against by mortgage companies: DH couldn't get a mortgage despite being a good earner until the early 80s as he wasn't married.

Of course single people should be able.to buy their own home. I'm a single parent early 50s and stuck in rented as I can't save for a deposit while renting and bringing up a child etc :(
House prices where I am are quite high so even on a decent salary it's v difficult go buy as a single person.. and it shouldn't be.
There are lots of new builds near me and would love.to be able to buy but have no deposit. And see lots of young couples buying. It's hard.