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?

I know a family who are the opposite, they are pretty well off and own a beautiful house worth close to £1m but they drive around in an old banger because they see a car as a waste of money because they depreciate in value so much.

Like pps, nice house, boring car. I don't spend anything like as much time in my car as in my house, only get pleasure from my car in that it gets me from A to B, and consider that my house is likely to appreciate in value, whereas the new car loses value as soon as you drive it out of the garage you purchased it from. Having said that, it's fine if your car is also your hobby/pleasure/status symbol., I guess the expense is worth it to you. Wonder what my neighbours think.... But funnily enough none of my friends (also in nice homes) drive flash cars, so perhaps it's a shared values thing.

I'm in a rural area, pretty villages, small towns, commutable from London. Expensive. I'd say cars match homeowners rather than houses. Old money, workhorse cars. New money, flashy cars, no money, bus poor sods public transport round here is shite.

We over in a bungalow with 2 old cats and two new BMWs. Cars do matter to me, but going out, getting hair and nails done don't. So I probably spend on cars what others might spend on entertainment and them hd eyebrow things. Each to their own.

I've always said you cant judge anyones finances/lifestyle based on their choice of car.

I disagree - obviously not a universal truth, but often the crappiest the car, the better off people are, and vice versa. Unless you are Lewis Hamilton (No idea what he drives, but he could easily get away with a Ferrari).

My over-priced neck of the world is full of old bangers, and decent but well used and non flashy cars, with the odd treasure hidden in some garages. (think Aston Martin, there's one especially with a private number plate driving me crazy with curiosity, I am sure the owner is famous). When you drive through poor area of the suburbs, you see a lot of flashy and expensive horrors. Some people have things to prove, others obviously don't. The exception seem to be the newest McMansion estates, with drives full of shiny expensive vehicles.

I know we made the decision on our house based on the choice to have money left over every month. It's still a very nice house, plenty of space, lovely views. We could have had a 5 bed enormous place, but we both agreed that what's the point if all you can do is sit indoors all the time because all the money is going on the mortgage? For us it was a case of average nice house = more money to do fun stuff. Maybe a lot of people think like this?

I think it's all to do with small penises

I was going to suggest drug dealer or financed to the max but I have been beaten to it.

The well known drug dealer in our town is also suspected of being a police informant, he lives in a council house but has a 60k car parked outside yet has never been investigated?!

Near my Dad's house, there is a council estate that was always quite run down, before the council houses were sold off. Terraced pebble dashed jobs, most of them - very ugly. But there were always a few houses that had expensive cars, mostly Jaguars and Mercs, before the big sell-off - the people living there clearly had the money for them, but enjoyed the cheap rent of the council house (or had been brought up there and taken on the tenancy, who knows)

That looked a bit incongruous.

But then so did my family's cars - mostly ancient Fords - outside the naice looking Victorian semi.

I would think that hardly anyone spends more than £15k cash on a car - beyond that I think it is a company car or on finance. I think you're either a car finance person or you're not - I've tried just owning a slightly older car that I had paid off and didn't like the feeling it was about to cost us a lot of money or breakdown - we both commute and need it.

That said, I am surprised when people in my average area have very fancy cars as even when they're on finance, the monthly payments must be huge!

Lwejl an old Bentley in excellent condition can be yours for £10000 (about the price of a mid-spec Ford Ka brand new)
I wouldn't fancy the fuel and maintenance costs though)

If it is a newer blingier Bentley, it may not be a Bentley at all, but a Chrysler 300c dressed up to look like a Bentley (you can get after market front ends, wheels, badges and grills).

We have the cheapest cars on our street with my car definitely the oldest. I had a posh car once it did nothing for me. Not into cars. As long as they are reliable.
Property is a different story. The houses are all big whoppers but ours is the nicest
and biggest

Yes, it's the rise of PCP. A grand down and £150 a month and you too can have a brand new Audi. When I was looking at cars, the dealers said that 80% of new cars were sold using PCP these days as people care more about the monthly payment than anything else.

House buying is another matter as new money laundering and anti-fraud have made it so much more difficult to buy if you're even the slightest bit dodgy.

Interesting post though OP. My road is a mix of average semis and big detacheds with land and the cars vary just as much. Most people seem to spend on travel and horses too.

I live in a mixed estate - housing association and privately owned properties. There is no real car type for the area. People buy what they can afford. The single people and childless couples seem to have the flashier, sportier type cars and those with kids have the typical 'kid cars' lots of seats, big boots and the like! the middle aged couples with kids at uni tend to have the BMW or range rovers around here and the Older people have the tiny cars.

One thing I have noticed. No one is brave with colour! its just a sea of dark grey/charcoal or silvery grey and the odd dark blue.

FWIW I don't yet drive and I have a pillar box red bicycle.

Some people prefer to use cars as a status symbol.
It always amuses me when i see people with a car that is worth more than their house. My exbil, used to lease a ferrari which was worth more than his house. I know lots of people with nothing to scratch their arses with, no savings, no assets who lease vehicles so that the outside world thinks they are doing oh so well!
The problem for these people with having a big house is that you cant take it around with you to show off! Or you cant afford to get a mortgage on it.

LikeDylanInTheMovies

I'll take a closer look when I get home (on holiday atm).

It just doesn't make sense to me having it as a car. It's huge.

BTW, I drive a beaten old Golf I'm waiting to break down properly to get rid of.
It's got a little gem of an engine, though. :)

When we were really struggling to keep our heads above water and working around the clock fil bought dh a quite flash car much to mil's dismay. Dh didnt ask for or expect such an expensive gift and it was/is costly to run but he can now better afford it. But anyway we went from a banger (got £30 scrap for it) to a nice new big gleaming motor. I expect that the neighbours were a bit but hopefully they didnt think he had taken up drug dealing. Actually it was in the banger that he used to get pulled over and searched in.

Yes, and i agree,the wealthiest person i know drives the crappiest car.

Haha I think about this kind of thing too! We moved into a much bigger house a couple of years ago, slight stretch financially, and it did cross my mind that our 07 Ford focus wouldn't really fit with the other cars in the road, especially with the big dent along the side, and the fact we get it washed about every 2 years. However, it turns out the other people in the road are very nice, and don't judge us by our car, so it's all good!!

I'm intregued , do report back! If it is a genuine Bentley the cost of keeping it running would be eye watering, even if they were an enthusiastic and skilled car nut who did all the work themselves.

People should be allowed to own whatever car they want... Big houses don't always have big cars, it's all by choice.

Leased cars are very popular now. I used to do direct sales a long tie ago; flashy car and modest house usually meant bad credit report. I think times have changed somewhat now.
OP if you are not up to your eyeballs in debt, I would not question how your neighbours afford their cars.
Ever heard the phrase " Kippers and curtains"?

My street is full of family cars like Nissan Qashqui, VW Touran etc. All in sensible colours. I have a bright red Fiat. I love it. Stands out much more than my black polo I traded in for it!

I have a 10 year old van converted into a camper van, because I am an aging hippy and I don't care what cars the neighbours have, as I beleive in peace, love, and minding my own business.

Oh yes, this is so true isn't it?
It is surprising how many smart cars are to be seen on scruffy council estates.
It's all about status.