To not understand why we need so many new homes

[Pebbledash7]

Just as in the title really. I keep hearing about us building all these new houses but where are all the people currently living? There are tonnes of houses for sale in the property pages of our local paper.

I really dont understand why we can't make better use of what we have?

But does affordability not in part come from lifestyle i.e. saving by going without other things

Are people really this ignorant? I the 90s pre-labours border dropping average house prices were 3c average salary, they are now 9x average salary.

Average age of buying a house has risen from early 20s to 30s, 1/3 30 year olds still living at home.

wages have stagnated.

Right now our nextdoor neighbour has 4 cars piling out of his drive way, and one in the garage. In their not very big 4 bed house live 5 grown adults.

That's why more houses are needed.

The Op can't live in the SE I have 3 adult children currently living with me who are all saving furiously. To rent would cost more than to pay a mortgage. My oldest DS commutes every day from Peterborough to London as it is the only place where he can afford property!
There is not enough affordable property in the SE, yet where I live houses have been converted into offices in an atea where office blockd stand unoccupied.

People having children they can't House?

Where?

Hmmmmmnn.

RHAY
250000 net migration
Those are scarey numbers ! no wonder they want to build so much housing and worrying that they want to build on Green belt

In Wales, you can only get the help to buy deposit help for new-build properties

^what she said

So you feel you should have your idyllic rural retirement with land for the visiting grandkids to run about in, but social housing families should be crammed into flats? -so you can keep your pretty view-

We need more housing in my town because average house prices are 16 times the average salary. Yup, that wasn't a typo. 16 times average salary. That means school's and other public sector enterprises have massive problems recruiting and retaining staff and if you're not already on the housing ladder then you've got bugger all chance of ever buying your own home. "Affordable" housing is being built and starts at around £400,000+.

Why is help to buy only for new builds?

Very near me are two houses sitting empty. They need work ( due to neglect) but they are in a good location and could be homes for two couples or small families. And this isn't London so they won't be megabucks.

There needs to be incentives to renovate (how about zero vat as on new builds) and discouragement not to do so, up to and including forced purchase.

Live in it, rent it out or sell it. Empty homes are an abomination.

I still don't get the connection about building affordable housing and the naice local school going downhill...

Most new builds here are expensive 4/5 bed houses. Way out of price range of most first time buyers. Madness

roodie you make me sound like an arse but tes i do actually. We need to make people want to work hard and achieve. Why is it so wrong to want something nice that you worked hard for. I worked 3 jobs to get a degree then studied whilst working full time to get a masters. We bought a project house for our first home that we spent night after night painting, wallpapering, doing up the garden, learning to lay flooring and tile to keep costs down. We sold it 7 years later, making some money and did it all again on another house and then again so we could get into a nice sized house in our desired area. Why should we not enjoy that?

OMG OP!!!!! I WISH I WAS LIKE YOU YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!

"People like you who are so ignorant and naive OP make me so angry that I can't even respond to your bullshit"

Love it! Well said WhatToDoAboutThis2017

So we worked hard and we bought our home so we had housing to raise out children.
Our children are almost adults and don't stand a hope in hell of being able to afford to move out. There are no affordable homes.

NIMBYism at its finest.

I have a large family, average sized friendship network and colleagues and housing never seems to crop up as an issue so i can never understand why so much is made of needing more houses.

Good point, OP. If something isn't an issue in your immediate circle, it can't possibly exist.

What an absolutely horrible thread.

Big congratulations on being very fortunate OP.

I don't follow, OP.

You don't think older people should downsize.

You don't think people on minimum wage work hard.

You think everyone with qualifications gets paid well and does work hard.

You don't want where you live to become more populated with people who don't work hard.

Is that an accurate summary?

OP could you have bought so quickly if it was just your salary and not your DPs as well?