cars that don't match houses

[iremembericod]

I live in a surburban semi, pretty average.

Next door neighbours have a brand new Range Rover and a year old BMW Big massive thing.

I feel it's a bit much for this road. We are more of a Vauxhall Astra / VW Golf type of road.

AIBU?

Not a fancy house, fancy shiny BMW on the drive. Someone drove into DH's car and the hire company provided a BMW until repairs are completed.
When his old car comes back will people assume we got caught and gave up the drug dealing???

I don't think it's odd at all. Some people love cars, some people love houses. Some people love them equally.

A few years ago one of our neighbours, who lived in a tiny house identical to ours, had about six cars, several of them quite expensive, all overinsured, most of them taxed. He was happy enough with his house and had no desire to move, plus apparently had no money to move because he'd rather spend it on cars.

We moved a few doors up the road to a bigger house. He was amazed that we could afford it, as he rightly assumed our income was similar to his. We pointed to our ancient car next to his string of beauties!

By accident or design, litterly all the cars in our street are white. It's eerie as anything coming home. The houses are new build so all kind of look the same.... With all the white cars

Holdit a new Mustang pulled up outside our house the other day, it looked and sounded awesome! Actually stood there like a muppet just gawping at it!!! DP now wants to trade our (very lovely) new Mondeo for a Mustang.

My car matches my house. 5yo grey estate car and standard brick house as build all over the country in estates of several hundred all similar. Neighbours all the same although one has some seriously posh old classic car tucked away in the garage.

I think this is interesting! Our whole road is what i fondly think of as 'frumpy'.

It's a completely circular little road, (not cul-de-sac) and all the houses around the circle are roomy detached 3/4/5 bedders. They're all nicely maintained, with big gardens ect, BUT they are all variations on the same ugly 70s build which is impossible to disguise! Lots of the residents are older couples. (Front lawns all clipped to within an inch of their life - bedding plants in regimented stripes ect). It has a 'retirement' feel to it. Most of the houses have one sensible car. Sensible colours and sensible makes.

Then there's our house. On our drive every day we have a very battered work van, a nice BMW and a black hatchback with huge white daisy stickers all over it. Most evenings out on the kerb we have a shiny red sports car and at weekends we squeeze on a new black hatchback as well. We're probably the noisiest house on the street (in a family noise way), and i'm 99% sure we're the only ones renting

Ayeok The new Mondeos are really lovely! I'm very pleased with it though. I'm still pinching myself that it's mine!

I totally do this. I am a school governor of a school in a really deprived area. The street the school is on has really run down houses, but some REALLY flash cars. I do find myself wondering why, if you had £40k for a car (or the equally extortionate monthly payments), you wouldn't just move?? I know it sounds awful, but I just don't understand it.

I bet you are Holdit! It's my fantasy car after a '67 Shelby GT 500. Our Mondeo is lovely, it's by far the nicest and newest car we've had. Think that's why I love it, been so used to driving absolute sheds that we really appreciate a nice shiny new car! Enjoy your Mustang!!

I have a crappy house and a crappy car. Do I win something?

I was on holiday recently and saw an actual shack with a BMW outside. It made me very unsettled

A Mercedes Brabus S600 parked in a council high-rise multi-storey car park. I noticed it each time I drove past on the main road and you could see the car from the road, so wasn't just visiting. Thing was probably worth more than all the estate houses combined ..

You match lois

This is accolade

AppleJac you're clearly a drug dealer then and so is your neighbour

We live in a run down area with run down cars (ours included) boring huh?

This disparity might be because house prices have spiralled out of control. Someone on a very average income could have bought a house 20 years ago and remained there (and have a run of the mill ageing car) but spiralling house prices have meant that the person who moves into the next door in 2016 will need to have a far more highly paying job (and will have a car to match).

My theory is a lot of people have a good amount of disposable income but can't afford to move up the property ladder so just think f*ck it, I'll buy a car. Or go to Disney land every 5mins. I'm heading in this direction tbh.

This reminds me of the Grayson Perry documentary about kings Hill V Tunbridge Wells.
Some very flash cars in Mings Hill.

I live in an average middle class block of flats. Nice, fairly spacious 3 bed, with a garage and loft storage.
Someone in the next block has a Bentley parked outside. I have no idea how old, but still... And I don't even see the point. Maybe they were given it or inherited it. Or they lost their previous fortune. I like to imagine the scenarios.

Or, if someone has lived somewhere for 20 years, but their income has increased by a decent amount due to promotions etc, their mortgage will be small compared to their income and they have money that they can spend on cars or other non house related stuff.

Not everyone wants to move house all the time, spend money on doing up their house or buy the best house they can possibly afford.

Our household income is probably triple what it was 20 years ago, but our mortgage is the same and now a tiny fraction of our income. So we spend most of our money on hobbies, eating out and holidays. We did put on an extension but the whole thinking/planning/deciding aspect was incredibly dull hard work that I would never want to do again.

And yet some people seemed to think endless trips to Ikea, B&Q to choose and design a kitchen, flooring etc was some sort of exciting treat.

ha ha, I know what you mean!

I live on a row of small terraced houses and the people next door have a fleet of very ordinary cars. On my other side it's a micra or something. Next to that, a Vintage car. Very cool, and unfortunately, next to that about three commercial vehicles all belonging to the one corner house. They let the row down :-p

I'm 30% joking!

I notice this a fair bit.

There's a tiny starter home (where they never mow their lawn out front) with an Audi RS8 and a RR Evoque on the drive, both with personalised plates. It feels mismatched.

I have a nice house and shitty car of that helps?

My mum commented on this when I lived in my old flat.
Loads of v nice cars in fairly bog standard 2 bed new build flats.
I think it's a combination of finance deals/new car leasing vs buying & house prices in London either being completely unaffordable therefore people are rent & spending disposable income or having higher salaries but being priced out of nicer houses.

My exBIL also used to have a flashy convertible Mercedes, gold painted. It was second hand and not particularly new. Still, he rented and had a fairly low paid job.
Cars were definitely more important to him than anything else.

nanunanu just because someone has a nice car they must be a drug dealer or a criminal? Wow, judgemental much!

Just remember you don't have to buy a car with cash..... You can lease these models for £300 ish a month!