London 'Family' Houses on TV

[PipinwasAuntieMabelsdog]

Non Londoner, living outside of London here. DH parents live in London in a non posh (downright scruffy when they moved in, normal family DH Mum Dr recep, dad a cabby, older parents, 4 kids in 2 double and box room 3bed) former outside London area, which has been poshed up a bit (coffee shops, high street stores etc have replaced the 'old functional' shops. Yet, when I watch tv shows like Outnumbered, Motherland, My Family, everyone seems to live in massive houses with gardens in places like Chiswick and Wimbledon, am I right in thinking that this would be impossible for non-millionaires?

My neck of the woods is not really shown on TV, with the exception of Cutting it and Coronation Street, but when it is, it seems a bit more realistic. Why is London always presented in such an unrealistic way for 'normal families'? or am I wrong? Do families live like that more frequently than I realise?

I always think Julia’s house in motherland looks really realistic as do most of the others. It’s Liz and her ex that confuse me, they both seem to have a house each as singletons - he seems to be some sort of self employed tradesman who barely works and she doesn’t have a job? It surely wouldn’t be realistic for her to have her own two/three bed in Acton?

outnumbered is just outdated. That house is worth millions. when it started was probably realistic - mum has to get a job when youngest starts school, big mortgage but just affordable with cut backs etc. now it would be a house a banker or surgeon or something buys.

Outnumbered is about 20 years old and I think it might have been realistic if they'd bought in the 90s although only just about. Families I knew living in houses like that were in highly paid jobs. But you're right that normally they're not realistic at all. It's the same for American shows though - the houses in Friends, Big Bang Theory etc just wouldn't be realistic.

I think it's artistic licence really isn't it. They say what kind of house would this character have and make it so without thinking about whether it's realistic. Unless poverty is a storyline anyway.

On outnumbered their fridge cost £2500 in the early 2000s. I know as it was the same as ours. No way could they have afforded that

I agree op.
Recent dramas based (I think) in London seem to depict huge houses with acres of light flooding through them. All bi folding doors with immaculate gardens and this with kids as well. As if people can afford that.
Yet the more ‘Northern’ dramas such as Sherwood depict older, More realistic housing with older decor etc.
I know it’s easier to film in houses with lots of light and open plan yet they don’t use these houses for all dramas.
I guess it’s like everyone used to say about Friends. How on earth can 20 something’s afford to live where they did with the jobs they had, totally daft.

There have been some cracking MN threads over the years that have been along the lines of ‘how the fuck does a teacher and a PA in Outnumbered afford a £1.3m house” and all sorts of interesting theories about when they bought it, in episode 34 it was mentioned so-and-so got inheritance etc. It does make me laugh because my VERY well-to-do Uni friend and her DH, both six figure earners, only just recently managed to buy aged 37, a 2 bed flat in Brixton and are sticking to one child and She always jokes that she should just be in Motherland and it wouldn’t be a problem 😂

Yes would love to see the reality of what the Outnumbered family would live in in that part of London (I think they were in Wandsworth?) A decent sized ex local authority flat in a high rise block would probably be out of reach.

But having said that, I know a few families with parents having similar jobs having similar big houses in expensive parts of London and it’s usually that the house was in the family already or they used family money to buy it. But to buy it themselves from one teacher’s salary, no way!!

And yes the Paddington family are minted to the tune of multi-millions to be in that house!
And most of their neighbours would actually be Russian oligarchs or Saudi millionaires who were never there so the rest of the houses on the street would be boarded up most of the time 😂

Also bemused how Liz in Motherland who doesn’t work can afford a (at least) 2 bed flat opposite a school in Acton but then I remember sometimes it’s best not to overthink things 😁

The only house I can relate to is The Middle

It's fiction?

A bit like *crime dramas where the chief inspector or super is out and about talking to witnesses, making arrests and interviewing suspects.
Instead of sitting in their office 8 til 4 drinking coffee and shagging the pretty blonde probationer (ok, maybe that last bit actually is portrayed in fictional programmes...)

Plus, you'd only notice the housing situation if you have knowledge of London. I've watched all those programmes abd have no clue which areas they are in or what those areas and house prices are like do its never crossed my mind.

Much like I assume people with no knowledge of the police force would just accept bosses run around doing all gtge hard work.

*first thing that came to mind as its something that really pisses me off!

Yes. Massive houses. In Chiswick

And they always walk to work over Hungerford Bridge. In stilettos. Then wind up in Shoreditch

I grew up in London and then bought myself in the 90's - some of these shows are more from that era when it wasn't unrealistic. Take my family, he's a dentist - perfectly plausible

The best London TV house by miles is Hannah's in The Split. Immaculate semi in Clapham. I know they are both lawyers but they are paying the mortgage on that plus three sets of school fees.

On an unrelated note, my favourite line in a tv show is in Motherland: 'Kevin banged Amanda up the back of heega teega!' 😂

Totally agree and I live in London.

The houses in The Split were to die for and out of reach even for a lawyer and barrister.

I can only assume it’s for selling to an international market. No-one wants to see their main characters be professionals who live in more ordinary areas like Wembley.

@LarryTrotter I get that's it's fiction, but as I say, dramas set in other places tend to be much morerealistic re houses and income than London set ones and I just wonder why?

Paddington is based on a book though that was written in 1958! And the family were posh as they had live in staff.

@NewHouseNewMe That could be it I suppose. Manc accents don't sell as well, so probably less of an international market. Also, as a born and bred Mancunian, I would pity who ever had to do the subtitle translation! 😂

Did she rent for a very long time? Or is it a very big garden flat? I can find 2 bed flats in our price range (in 2019) in Brixton.

Cos DH and I are not on 6 figures but we bought a 2 bed flat in zone 3 north london at age 27 and 29 (lived at home for 3 years). Most of our friends at the same age also own property including a friend who I don't think got any help but isn't on 6 figures either!

@BertieBotts I thought Mrs Bird was some kind of distant relation? You've taught me something!

Yes - by series 3 it was the only thing work watching for - well cast and classy.

There was a thread on here about that house and they managed to identity the house and road !

I also loved the house on Afterlife - again a poorly paid hack on the local rag and and artist.

@onthefencesitter TBH I’ve never asked her if they had money come externally because it’s a bit rude but I got the impression her and her DH have saved it all themselves years. They rented until they bought, and we’re lucky to meet young (age 20) so always post-Uni had a 2 income household.

Ooh and it has a garden - she nearly wet herself with excitement about that 😂

I have never asked my friends either. They either volunteered the info or it was painfully obvious i.e a single on a 35k income buying a 490k flat. But my solicitor (high street firm) friend and her IT developer boyfriend buying a 400k house after renting, I can imagine she may not have received help. She is the only person I know in my age group (I am 29) who has not had help. I do count DH and I as having gotten help as we lived rent free for 3 years.

Private garden? I have a communal garden. That explains it because the private garden aspect can raise the price to excess of £600k-700k.

Yes private garden in a ground flat, the flats above don’t have access to it at all, which I believe is quite rare in that area!

IIRC they bought for £675k