Both my dc bought their own houses at 23 AMA

[joezoealfiecasperoli]

I hear a lot about this generation not getting on the property ladder and it is a big problem. I was amazed when both dc finished uni, got jobs and bought houses within 2 years of graduating.
To avoid drip feed
Yes they are mortgaged
They both bought with partners

What are the genuine benefits of living in the SE that can't be replicated elsewhere? Genuinely interested.

Like what? Not being arsy. Just wondering.

The highest number of national Trust properties
Quick access to ferries to France etc
Quick access to Eurotunnel
8 airports
The densest concentration of historic sites
The highest concentration of galleries and
museums and
theatres
The centre of larger cultural events
Warmer drier weather
A wider variety of job opportunities
Great public transport
Family. For people wanting to stay near family or their childhood home the greatest concentration of the population is in the southeast

If the be all and end all was, say, walks in mountainous landscapes people wouldn’t live in the South. Although with excellent transport people can get to some mountains either in the North or Italy. ( It would probably take much the same amount of time and the foods lovely in Italy )

People are different though. We don’t all want the same from life and will prioritise accordingly

Of note
A survey ( Covid years ) based on statical sale data re internal migration identified the south of England had the 5 most popular places for people to move to.
ie
Devon, Norfolk, Hampshire, Kent and Essex
( This was of course a time when people were escaping cities and opportunities for some to wfh improved )

Whilst I am happy living in the SE, making 3 out of the first 4 reasons to live there as ways to escape easily isn't very persuasive.

The reasons weren’t listed in terms of priority
but
Excellent access to transport isn’t just about leaving it’s also about imports, work etc Airports and euro tunnel are widely used to just get to meetings abroad.
( i myself regularly commute to Guernsey with flights filled with people going for work related reasons )

I agree, it's not necessarily unusual, but for many who have been to uni on a very demanding course,e.g. medicine, like my niece she was in uni for 5 yrs before qualifying as a doctor.....there was no way she had time to work before the age of 23 so she had zero savings and lots of student debt at that age

It depends doesn't it on what you want out of life. My niece qualified as a doctor at age 23.....so she had zero money and lots of student debt at that age but long term she'll be better off

Me too! Not being judgmental, genuinely curious ! Can you explain?

Agree it can be done if you live at home with minimal contributions. My parents charged me £400 per month which tbh I didn't think was a lot at all as was still much cheaper than private renting.

If she had been as lucky as I was to only pay £400 rent to parents it would have taken her longer, God forbid if she had been unable to move home she would at an absolute minimum been out £600 per month just on rent in a house share!

She has done well for herself but it was through you subsidising her living expenses not her cutting back on fun money.

I think.

1. Being so close to London. Now people may love or loathe London - but from a business point of view it is a global power and incredibly important for a lot of industries.

2. Airports. Heathrow is one of the best connected airports in the world. We had a friends who moved to an absolutely beautiful part of Norfolk - but the husband had to travel to Singapore twice a month - and another 3.5 hours on his journey each way got too much for him.

3. It has a standard of theater, shopping,dining etc you don't get anywhere in the country.

4. It's where the big money is.

I love getting out of The South East to peace and quiet, and when kids are at uni we will split time between here and our holiday home.

But lets not pretend there aren't major advantages to living near London and The South East. If there wasn't - there wouldn't be such a premium to live here.

Exactly! I plan not to charge my children any rent (in the future) on the proviso that they save, save, save but I absolutely appreciate that not everyone can do this for their children, plus the job market isn't great so I absolutely do not judge anyone that can't get on the property ladder at 23.
Also, to the poster that said that her dd's boyfriend "also did the same" - again, not everyone is lucky enough to find a partner and a partner with the same buffer at parent's home where they can live rent free/or on low rent to be able to save. That DD was v lucky that all the stars seem to have aligned for her.

Couldn't agree more. I'm northern but have lived in the SE and some people who live there (note I said some) really can't seem to see the wood for the trees in terms of what an utter rip-off things like housing can be in the area.

But it's not a rip off.

Completely! And although it doesn't feel like it wages are also much better for young people now vs 10 years ago.

The last couple of years minimum wage has been increasing beyond what it ever did meaning a 21 year old will now earn a minimum of 24k on the till at Asda whilst also reaping the benefits of not paying rent at home, whereas minimum wage was 14k only 10 years ago and 30k was a dream salary for the ordinary person. Take home would only be around £1000 a month and back then I was living in a shared house paying £650 a month rent. Rents are ridiculous now but they weren't much better then either and a quick look on Zoopla has shocked me that a house share on the same road I lived on back then is somehow only £100 more than what I used to pay?!? www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/72490552/

I was lucky to save £250 a month earning above minimum wage as a personal assistant (21k salary) let alone £1250 😂

This is why the SE and London are, in my opinion, like Sodom and Gomorrah.
No offence to anyone living there.

Never change, Mumsnet 😂

The number of people on this thread who think your life is over if you have to live somewhere other than the South-east.

I don't think that's what people are saying.

Agree
Some are are saying quite the opposite in fact

There are clear and obvious reasons why London and The SE are more expensive, but that doesn't mean it's better.

Agree
Better is very much a personal thing

I wouldn't choose to live in a flat in Mayfair, but I understand why they can cost 40 million quid.

But lets not pretend there aren't major advantages to living near London and The South East. If there wasn't - there wouldn't be such a premium to live here

Exactly. It's a major capital city so it's rather peevish for people who have all the advantages of living in or close to it to sneer at the OP's DC.

And there are many areas outside the SE which are out of the price range of first time buyers. Our DC won't be able to buy in the village they have grown up in.

Nine times out of ten the most expensive real estate in the world is't going to be in or near major global cities.

Foreign buyers.