To think that some people live in too big houses?

[URSick]

Lots of people live in (in my opinion) already big houses yet they want to move into even bigger ones.
I see so many families where all the children have their own bedrooms, bathrooms, big bedroom for the parents, guest room, study, living room, and yet they never seem to be satisfied and want to move into a bigger house. They all want playroom for the children. What's the point, when they could easily play in their bedrooms or the living room? There are houses where everybody has their own level, plus bathrooms on the landings, more toilets than family members, and yet they want Buckingham palace. It's good to have enough space and not be in each other's pockets but am I the only one who thinks these people are greedy and unreasonable? You don't need to live in a mansion to be a happy family.
Not to mention those houses where entire rooms are never used, lots of space is taken up by massive stairs and there are parts of the house that are just walkways.
What's your take on it?

Lots of people are missing the point that does affect everyone. All the 'No one else's business' posts are ignoring the fact that there is a housing crisis with many families homeless and overcrowded

And how do you feel people not living in large houses and competiting for the small ones and this driving the price up and reducing the available stock will help this situation? Unless you feel people in large houses should be inviting other less fortunate people to live with them? Maybe gift them their house in return for their little one?

Being homeless or living in overcrowded accommodation is not because some people live in big houses. It's a much deeper issue.

Big houses aren't going to solve the housing crisis, ever.
You can't force people to sell or have less fortunate people to move in with them!

I paid a fortune in stamp duty when I bought my house and my son will have to pay a fortune in inheritance tax.

I think that says more about the rest of you than it does about them

Agree. That post is all about jealousy and bitterness. Saying their house is not a home, no one wants to visit and everyone likes visiting rhe poster better is simply the green eyed monster coming out. It's a shame people feel this way.

How would me having a smaller house solve the housing crisis? If families are overcrowded it rather suggests that they have too many children doesn't it?

Franny you'd be freeing up your bigger house. But it's inefficient and expensive to keep moving.

Are people so thick they don't realise its the stamp duty on the larger homes that is helping to pay for social or affordable housing? That their massive council tax is subsidising the discounts and the small homes? And that the people who can afford the large homes are paying so much more in tax that they subsidise those in the smallest homes?

Clueless.

But who would buy the freed up bigger house?
No-one who's currently in social housing, no-one who's is low income
Not the government either

And then once they bought it, they'd be told they shouldn't live in a big house anyway!
FAIL.

I prefer a smaller house over something large.
Feels more comfortable and cosy to me.

Some people prefer lots of space, horses for courses I guess

Franny you'd be freeing up your bigger house

See there's the rub - I am in the same situation (one adult, one child in a 5 bed) who is going to help my financially to do that? Because just having a quick look on Rightmove I would need a bigger mortgage to downsize....

Without being gauche I didn't see too many people in need of social housing queuing up to look at the same properties or spend the better part of 40k in stamp duty.

ignoring the fact that there is a housing crisis with many families homeless and overcrowded

Homeless or struggling families are unlikely to be the target market for privately owned 4+ bed houses are they? How is that relevant?

What do you suggest, retired Bob and Linda with a 5 bed £500k house with no mortgage gives it away to a family struggling with 3dc in a 2up, 2 down?

That's what I meant! We are not buying the same houses.

Today 11:11 NavyandWhite

How are people in need of a home because of having too many children for their current home or homeless people supposed to fund a large house Franny?
How is that anything to do with Franny? Or anyone with a big house. How would selling the house help?

NavyandWhite what I mean is I am relatively wealthy. I have a six bedroomed house for me, my husband and child because I want to, I enjoy it and I can afford it. I struggle to understand how me having a smaller house will free up a property like mine for anyone in need of social housing - it is unaffordable. Social housing needs addressing but blsming people in big houses is pointless, surely?

Ha! Sorry and sympathies

You'd hate me op. I have two bathrooms and a downstairs loo and five bedrooms. There are three of us. One bedroom is spare because we can't conceive a child to put in it. One bedroom is a dressing room and another is my work room. Does that mean we've bought a house too big for our needs? Or does it mean that it is sound financial planning in that we will never need to move again and I don't have to rent business premises because I can work from home. And as I spend all day at home, space is important to me.

I think the only solution is to knock down all the big houses and build several smaller houses on the plot. Except, someone will have to pay me for my plot, plus the cost of building the smaller house, so the eventual cost to either a private buyer of the government will be substantially more than the current cost, surely?

Plus my home is 4 bedroom- unsuitable for a large family with more than 3 kids, no downstairs bathroom so unsuitable for anyone elderly or with disabilities, and is also in such a condition that it's not really suitable for tennants long term because of the amount of work needing done to it (which is the only way we could afford it!)

I'll just stay put for now, shall I?

Equally at the other end isn't there an issue with people having more and more children knowing that their house is too small for their current needs?

Mines listed. Which means it's of historical interest. And someone famous from a very long time ago used to live here. So they ain't gonna knock it down any time soon To make way for smaller identkit houses on the plot. As it's on three stories, four if you inc cellar, it's not ideal for folks with young families or those with mobility problems. It also costs a bomb to heat. Oh and it's a little rural and you can't walk everywhere you need to go.

However people with larger families also had the same opportunity to buy it as I did. They didn't. So is the issue really not that people chose to live in large houses, but that some people who need more space simply can't afford it?