Have you seen this? Guardian map illustrating how most people are now priced out of property in the UK?

[TheHouseOnTheLane]

And AIBU to think....what is everyone going to do? Rent forever?

www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2015/sep/02/unaffordable-country-where-can-you-afford-to-buy-a-house?CMP=fb_gu

Actually renting forever would be fine. If there was rent control, good recourse when things go wrong, much stronger, fairer legislation and long term rentals as the norm. Renting is shit, buying is impossible.

MrsTerry exactly. But there isn't is there? Social housing is dissapearing and there's little security or chance of long term leases...

That thing seems to assume that people will only ever buy as a single person. Most people that buy do so on the strength of two incomes.

It seems a bit misleading to me - they've used the median price, so for my village that would be 300k ish, but there's still quite a few around the 150k ish mark. Its obviously not true that most people can't buy, otherwise no one would be buying

Claps mrsterry. Exactly mrsterry. Pointing the most important from your list ..Rent controls really need to introduced asap. In europe its more common to rent as you get alot more protection.

Slightly confused by the website - how do they take into account what deposit you'd have for a house? Surely the level of deposit determines what you can afford, as well as your salary?

easy to see where the rot set in re affordability - 1997 ish and peaked in 2007 - who were the Government at the time
it is interesting to see that affordability gets a mite better in 2014 compared to to 2010 - are sellers seeing the light or have the low interest rates since 2009 made a differance?
I agree prices and rents are way too high and the problem needs to be addressed

I think the only way they can portray it meaningfully is by using averages and comparing them with the same in 2001. It does clearly show that the gap between average house prices and affordability has definitely widened. We bought our house in 2001 and there is no way we could afford it if we were buying now. The answer has got to be more affordable social housing so that people can save and feel more secure in their homes.

This is rubbish. Loads of people have equity. This only takes into account first time buyers.

I would imaging that first time buyers are in the minority, compared to people buying their second, third or fourth homes- with resultant equity following them.
I am on my fourth consecutive house purchase, this chart is meaningless for lots of people.

As is the median prices as pootles points out. The average house price in my village is around £200K, but there are lots of properties around the £400K mark, equally, lots at £135K, even a large number of ex council stock which are snapped up by first time buyers, a 2 bed semi for £95K.

I think someone at the Guardian has a nice new graphics package he is keen to show off.

Hmmmm. I don't know. My whole family are slowly ending up further away from our town due to it becoming fucking commuter belt and luxury car garages opening not being able to rent or buy here. I bought during the crash with a deposit or I'd still be renting too. Yet in my dads home town houses are practically free it's such a deprived shite hole. Can't say most couldn't buy as they could in the shit hole but not in nice areas. Too many variables for them to make such a sweeping statement?

First time buyers do not buy an averagely priced home. They buy the cheaper homes. These graphics are misleading. And, as Osolea says, single people tend not to buy family homes.

That doesn't mean to say I'm claiming house prices aren't too high. They are. It's ridiculous. And unsustainable.

Ridiculous, makes you worry what sort of country are kids will be in. Why aren't we outraged over this.

I guess London is now a exclusive place to live.

Why aren't we outraged over this.

We can't be outraged over how much people choose to sell their house for.

We need to get outraged at the lack of investment outside the South East.
We need to get outraged at the lack of affordable new homes being built.
We need to get outraged at the government extending the Right to Buy.
We need to get outraged at failure to build sufficient social housing.

But we don't. Because the newspapers still set the agenda, and they don't give a stuff about things like that.

Collaborate All them I am outraged at

That map is NOT the uk, thats England, move to Scotland apart from Edinburgh and Aberdeen everywhere else is reasonable ish

Well, I excitedly logged into rightmove, after seeing that the "cheapest" house in my area was listed at £47,500. Well, what is this mystery property available?

A caravan!!

We'll be first time buyers so this is sortof useful to see, except we know that you can't spend under £140,000 and expect more than a 1 bed or studio type affair, with no parking facilities.

Maybe August is a bad month for buying houses, because today there is nothing for under 50s in my town for under £120,000!! And we live in a shithole!

the map shows England and Wales

At the risk of stating the obvious if people on median salaries can buy cheaper properties what the hell are the 50% who don't earn the median meant to do? Housing being a basic human right n all.

I honestly don't understand why there isn't more outrage and why young people aren't out on the streets demonstrating. But hey ho stop cut out Costa coffee, get rid of your smartphone and all your money worries will be sorted

The big issue is that a large number of people are doing oh very nicely thankyou, convince themselves its 'hard work' not luck and they are the voters. Plus many see rising house prices as a good thing ......

It's also interesting that labour didnt have a plan for solving this at the last election either.

Exactly- this map is not the UK.

Rent control - that worked really well last time, didn't it?

Break NIMBY. If necessary centralise planning. Put a covenant against BTL on new-build.

Typical Guardian claptrap. They obviously wanted to make a left-wing bleeding heart point but have failed spectacularly for all the reasons other posters have highlighted above.