Why are we building so many homes?

[Skunkaniseed]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g518le0r5o

This article makes a number of good points. Why are we focused on building when there is a glut of empty homes that would meet the need?

I think that plenty of people wouldn't mind high rise living, it's just so much is built without any green space outside them.

I hate it when they build flats where you open the door and you are straight out onto the pavement without any gardens, shoved right up to another block of flats. I can't help wonder if one day a fire will just go right through a whole street of crammed together flats where there is no space around them for the fire service to rescue anybody.

I think there should be a ban on converting bungalows to 2 storey houses.
With an increasing elderly population, we need more bungalows and yet they are constantly being bought up and converted into 2 storey houses . Developers build very few bungalows, so the ones that already exist are becoming increasingly rare. Many older people would like to downsize but to somewhere with a garden rather than a flat in a massive block.

Huge numbers of these 'empty homes' are neglected, mouldy and require so much remedial work that it's cheaper to build new

When you pass rows of shops, especially in the inner cities, many of the flats above the shops are either storage or so derelict, you wonder what the shops look like inside

The thing about this debate is that it brings our so many people who feel they are qualified to dictate where other people should live but no-one is allowed to dictate to them where they live. They are usually where the 'poors' and the 'elderly' should live.

I am one of those people. Well screw you. Who are you to be telling me I shouldn't have a spare room and a craft room/study and the garden I have been tending for 20 years. It is bought and paid for by working for over an entire life (which was nothing like the stereotype you assume 'boomers' had).

Where I live is one of the few places where property remains reasonably affordable. However most of the housing stock isn't what people want so we need building. I appreciate that someone living in the South East might think that affording a two up, two down plus bathroom with a back yard and competitive on street parking is wonderful. But the price of living where you've decided to live. But if you can get on the ladder for not much more money with a downstairs loo, en suite and garden and drive why the hell wouldn't you. We need new houses and redevelopment of areas of old housing stock before it becomes derelict.

A whole pile of the existing housing stock isn't what people want. Why shouldn't we move on with what people think is acceptable. We don't live in rooms above livestock anymore, the world moves on.

But if think it appropriate to suggest others live with anything that wouldn't be acceptable to you, you need to have good talk with yourself.

I don't think anyone would advocate for that. But there are loads of ways to disincentivise leaving homes empty - high holiday home taxes, a very high vacant home tax to incentivise people in long drawn out court battles over inheritance.

Basically you'd need to look in detail what contributes to empty houses and tax the hell out of it - not grab the house which is illegal.

A land tax (instead of council tax) would stop land banking and encourage people to free up empty houses. But it’s too hard to change now.

If they were actually for social housing most are not

Billions of people all over the world live happily in multistorey buildings. They don't have to look like communist tower blocks, you know? I'd rather live in a nice spacious flat with a balcony and a park nearby than a tiny 2-floor terrace with an even tinier garden. Really don't get this hate for blocks of flats. I guess its because of how they've been executed here in the UK (e.g. Hatfield tower block). Developers (and buyers) should look at other countries for some architectural inspiration.

@ichundich fair enough, you live in a flat if you want to. I'd hate it, regardless of the design.

There are other options than a flat or a tiny terrace by the way.

I am angry. I am autistic, neurodiversity is becoming more and more common, and to be honest, I don’t want to live in a fucking tower block or flat. I did it once and I was suicidal within months because I cannot cope with noise and antisocial behaviour. I couldn’t sleep at night. I lived in fear and people had been setting fire to communal bins. In the 9 months I lived there police and fire trucks seemed to be there every other week. It is dangerous to live in a tower block. Being on universal credit and relying on social housing is bad enough. We don’t need to build more homes the UK is too fucking full anyway.

We need extra houses because of the standard Mumsnet answer to LTB, which immediately requires 2 houses to replace 1 house, both having room for all the children to have a bedroom each as they need both parent's houses to be equal

@lljkk its not just the over 65 demographic it’s also huge societal changes regarding the rise of single person households overall. I have three friends divorcing currently so suddenly that’s three extra homes needed.

Really don't get this hate for blocks of flats

British house buying procedures, shoddy workmanship, antisocial tenants and the laws around leaseholds and antisocial behaviour

Lovely, 30s style mansion flats? No problem

Modern high rises? Big problem

I don't think anyone need get het up about building houses . We don't have the resources to build the numbers talked about no matter the style or location .
The government have already said there aren't enough planning staff , and I would concur given the speed of my local council. You can't magically produce town planners , by the time they are trained the labour government will be gone . You then have possibly a protracted legal fight with those who don't want whatever is proposed in their neighbourhood.

And then we don't have enough trades people either to build .

By the time this has all been resolved the population will have exploded again so we'll never build enough to keep up with demand .

Once the boomer generation are no longer needing housing stock there will be a sharp decline in the volume of elderly people.

But the elderly people that there are will still want bungalows. There aren't anywhere enough to meet demand as it is.

And I'm not sure volume will decrease, unless everyone takes those fat loss jabs

The current demand is for the boomer generation, so named because of the boom in birth rates. Once Gen X and Millennials hit that age there will be an excess of bungalows.

I agree that bungalows should never be granted planning permission to build on top.
There should be more one and two bedroomed bungalows built, specifically to house singles or couples only.

A huge part of the problem is people living longer.
Plus Families separating so both mum and dad need a 3 bedroomed house with a garden for their children.
In the past that family would take up one house, now it’s 2.
In the past 50% of the population were dead by the time they were 70. Not so now.
All this slating of new homes but lots of people want to live in a new build. Quite often people can’t afford to buy an old house and sort out all the issues it brings. New homes come with new kitchens and new bathrooms. It’s not for everyone but lots of people want that.

Have you tried to buy a bungalow? Or looked around an area for one?

Near me, there are 4. Hundreds of suburban metroland type houses and 4 (four) bungalows.

Even over 60s can't find one to buy!

@Pumpkincozynights People living longer won't be a problem according to the OP as all the older generation will die, so no need to worry 😉

There will not be an excess of bungalows.
People are living longer. As such we have a growing population of people with disabilities and illness. More people who can barely manage stairs.
Added to this a growing amount of people who do not live healthy lifestyles and, quite frankly, will be too fat to walk upstairs long before they die.
Add to this the demand for bungalows from fit, healthy adults. Often they buy bungalows and extend upwards.
Bungalows are highly sort after where I live and fetch a high price.

People are so noisy and selfish

Bad enough living in a semi let alone a flat

Uncontrollable numbers arriving in the country there I've said it. That's not racism it's just fact
Swathes of our green fields are disappearing at a terrifying rate, the Labour land grab from farmers will only escalate the destruction of rural England
Desperately sad

I swear we've been asking this for the last 20 years.

Why is there no joined up thinking anywhere? It's all about the short term profit that can be made and no prioritisation of longer term goals.

@Pumpkincozynights single occupied dwellings used to be 10% of housing now it’s around 30%. I have three friends divorcing. Among my immediate neighbours, these are large 1920’s 3/4 bed houses with big gardens three of the houses have single women in. I’m friends with all of them, all retired professionals, two well before state pension age. Two never married and one is divorced and none had children.

It is a massive societal shift that’s in just one lifetime. No one was prepared for this. I’m glad women have a choice unlike my Mothers generation, listening to how MIL panicked and married horrible FIL at 24 is sobering.