Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

.... to be a little annoyed by these two?

106 replies

Pipbin · 01/12/2015 21:19

They have just bought a house using the 'help to buy scheme'.
Excellent, well done them.
But what annoys me is the, 'people who can't afford just don't try hard enough'.
He's 22 years old and earns £27,000. I'm 40 and only started earning a wage like that 5 years ago. There is no way on earth I could have been saving £500 a month a few years ago.

www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/34804311/im-20-and-i-own-a-250000-four-bed-house

OP posts:
SaucyJack · 01/12/2015 21:22

They lived with mummy and daddy while they were saving. Says it all.

Holstein · 01/12/2015 21:24

And they don't own it- they have a mortgage!

cosmicglittergirl · 01/12/2015 21:25

I bet they're a right laugh.

Hopefullyoneday1 · 01/12/2015 21:27

Ooooh don't get me started!

I was fortunate enough to by my place 10 years ago.

My sister ( we don't get on that well) is a council tenant (2 bed, nice house, nice area) she has been offered a right to buy with 70% discount. The property has just had a full modern homes refurb, tens of thousands spent. She is 28 and bloody turned it down and not because she couldn't afford to it but would rather stay as a council tenant then she doesn't have to pay for its future up keep! Grrrrr drives me mad

There are people who would jump at that opportunity

Crankycunt · 01/12/2015 21:28

Good for them, they've saved hard for it.

They come across as a little nieve, not everyone is privileged enough to be able to save £500 a month, and if you're single you're fucked.

I wonder when the excitement of owning a house wares off what happens to them.

JenniferYellowHat1980 · 01/12/2015 21:29

I read this. They sound like they haven't the faintest clue what it's like to struggle.

swisscheesetony · 01/12/2015 21:34

Oh bless his little cotton socks. He's just taken on a mortgage of 9 x single salary (5/6 x joint??) and presumably they'll be having kids a couple of years down the line.

Aaaaaand good luck trying to make those numbers add up!

Scarydinosaurs · 01/12/2015 21:34

Smug pricks.

Yes, when you're supported financially by your parents, you can buy a house. What about the people that don't have that luxury? Poor get poorer, the rich get richer.

How quickly their fortunes would change if they were disowned by both sets of parents and he lost his job. Then he would know what it means to have to watch your money. Foregoing nights out?? Oh what hardship.

TheFairyCaravan · 01/12/2015 21:35

They sound horrible. Really, really horrible.

Those lazy 20 year olds working in zero hour contracts, or training to be nurses, teachers, doctors, etc, they're just lazy and not trying! You're right! Hmm

MiniCooperLover · 01/12/2015 21:39

I heard their interview on Newsbeat earlier. He was such a prat and she was giggling in the background. Said, as an estate agent, he sees so many people renting who moan about not being able to save and he thought 'don't go out then mate'. Plus they still owe a large amount in rent/help to buy to pay back, so I don't know why they were being cocky Confused

Voodoolooloo · 01/12/2015 21:42

What a pair of plonkers! Love the quote 'Say no to a night out mate' (to save for a deposit) yes also say no to paying rent, bills etc etc.
I'm glad they like their own space, far too smug to be my neighbours Grin
Give it five or so years when they have kids and let the numbers crunch!
Not everyone is lucky enough to have parents with room and means to support them.
Pity the poor 20 somethings working for minimum wage or on zero hours or training. It's not about working hard, plenty of poorly paid people work hard. It's about having the right breaks at the right time and in this case supportive, financially able parents!

Gladysandtheflathamsandwich · 01/12/2015 21:44

THe reason they were on TV is because everyone else who did it isnt stupid enough to go on. The only ones daft enough to do it are dicks like that.

Gladysandtheflathamsandwich · 01/12/2015 21:45

Not working hard.....tell that to the Junior doctors working more hours and worse hours than him, for less pay and far more responsibility.

itsmeohlord · 01/12/2015 21:47

Why does one couple need a four bedroom house.....

mrsjanedoe · 01/12/2015 21:53

To be fair, they have a point.

OK, some have more help than others, but how many people (on an average salary) do you know who
have a cleaner/ window cleaner
have sky
have latest mobile phone
go to hairdresser / nail salon regularly
buy wine/ alcohol
smoke
have 2 cars (when they do not need them both to work)
have a couple of holidays a year
buy designer tat
must have furniture for every room of the house (and soft furnishing)
must have latest electrical appliances
buy take-aways a few times a week
go for a meal out regularly

AND THEN complain that they can't afford a house.

Some people are genuinely struggling (mums who spend weekends and night working to save on childcare), but others could easily save a lot of money. Even a £200 or £300 a month make a huge difference for a mortgage.

ToffeeForEveryone · 01/12/2015 21:54

Read this earlier and thought it was ridiculous. There's not much difference between the bank of mum and dad putting up the deposit and the bank of mum and dad putting them up rent free whilst they "save". Entitled and smug.

Original poster
Pipbin · 01/12/2015 21:57

To be fair, they have a point.

So all those years when I was on minimum wage, not having a car, Sky, drinking, having a take-away, eating out, or smoking, and could still afford fuck all were my own fault then?

OP posts:
caitlinohara · 01/12/2015 21:58

To be fair to them, they seem very young and naive, and their comments are probably directed at their peers and colleagues who for all we know may well be lazy and feckless. They probably haven't even stopped to consider the situations of single mothers, people on zero hours etc. This is Newsbeat remember: the comment "Here's the really tough bit: they also restricted their social lives" says it all.

mrsjanedoe · 01/12/2015 22:07

No Pipbin, but not everybody is on minimum wage, and the young ones who earn average UK salary (or above) don't seem to want to save a lot, and want the same lifestyle than their parents immediately. Have you walked past a pub/restaurant on a Friday night recently?

I know the exact salary of many people because of my job, but look at the property market/ rental market, not everybody is on the minimum wage, far from it!

Original poster
Pipbin · 01/12/2015 22:08

Fair point Cait. Also, given their age and give that they both goes up in detached houses I expect the closest either of them have come to someone on a zero hours contract is someone on their gap year.

OP posts:
GiddyOnZackHunt · 01/12/2015 22:24

So 5% down and the rest is 'owned' by the help to buy scheme and the bank. They must be paying the best part of 1k each month on the mortgage part which is what they saved each month whilst living with mum and dad.

I wonder how a few bad months would impact upon them? They have a lot riding on that estate agent's salary.

AgentZigzag · 01/12/2015 22:42

I thought I must be heartless thinking they were smug twats when I read about them earlier so I'm slightly relieved to find this thread Grin

I wouldn't wish life being a struggle on anyone and I love a 'nice' media story, but this one makes me want to punch his smug face in gives me the rage.

Damselindestress · 02/12/2015 10:54

YANBU. They've been lucky and I'd be happy for them if they admitted that but instead they are smugly acting as if they are a relevant and inspirational example to others, without having empathy for anyone else's circumstances. Not everyone can live with their parents while saving and some people are genuinely struggling to make ends meet, it's not as simple as "Say no to the night out mate" to save for a deposit.

I actually think they would have learned useful skills from renting and living in the 'real world' for a few years rather than going straight from living at home to taking on the responsibility of a mortgage and any repairs that the property might need in the future. I think reality is going to bite when their savings run out or if they experience any employment instability.

MrsHathaway · 02/12/2015 11:33

DH's first question about that was where on earth they could be living where a house like that cost £250k. We are also in Cheshire and there is a lot of new build, with an inexplicable £50k-ish premium compared with older buildings.

So they've lost £50k of their £250k just by moving in, essentially, and they aren't going to be living near the good schools/commuting links either.

They make a good point badly, IMHO. You get to afford a house sooner if you don't spend your money - live rent-free with your parents, stay in, buy nothing. Which, incidentally, is what DH and I did eleven years ago.

EssentialHummus · 02/12/2015 11:46

They make a good point badly, IMHO.

Agreed, MrsH - there are people in OK-to-high paid jobs who would be able to afford to buy if they cut down on extras. I'm sure I've posted about it before, but as a paralegal/trainee lawyer I saved up and bought my own home on a £25,000 salary, in London no less. Plenty of friends were (and are) spaffing their money on expensive flatshares and holidays, and are still complaining that they can't afford to buy now that they earn £60k+.

This doesn't, however, take away from the fact that there are many people whose outgoings are cut to the bone and who are struggling to make ends meet, to whom "Say no to the night out mate" is, as said above, no better or more helpful than "Let them eat cake".

Swipe left for the next trending thread