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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think it's ridiculous that a doctor and lawyer have to house share?

50 replies

blacknoire · 23/12/2018 19:49

My DD and her DP are both young professionals working in central London, recently qualified. AIBU to think it's pretty stupid that a professional young couple who have clearly worked very hard to reach this stage, have to live in a shared flat as property is so expensive? This is with a commute of 40 minutes.

Goodness knows how people who work normal jobs can afford to work centrally. Who on earth can actually afford property in their 20s in London?

OP posts:

LanaorAna2 · 23/12/2018 20:09

The young middle classes don't really live in inner London now unless they''re in banking or still in the family home.

There are tiny freak pockets of affordability, and everyone rents out the front room as an extra bedroom, but for most the rents are too high for them to eat too.

Holidayshopping · 23/12/2018 20:10

Goodness knows how people who work normal jobs can afford to work centrally. Who on earth can actually afford property in their 20s in London?

They commute usually. We live about that distance from London and DH commutes.

Bluntness100 · 23/12/2018 20:15

How much is the lawyer earning? I get doctors start on about 26 but the lawyer if in a decent firm, even on a training contract should be earning about the same if not more, so I don't get why they have to house share forty mins away?

Mossyhill · 23/12/2018 20:15

I can’t understand the issue of somebody flat sharing with a partner. Don’t many people live with a partner?

Mossyhill · 23/12/2018 20:16

Oh ignore me! I’ve just realised what you mean by sharing!

Joinourclub · 23/12/2018 20:17

I dont find it particularly sad that recently qualified young professionals have to house share.

jessstan2 · 23/12/2018 20:23

It's not at all unusual for people in their twenties to share a house or flat. Some like doing it, they have fun.

It won't be forever, they will both be saving a bit towards their own homes which they will have in due course.

I don't know why you are so perturbed by it, it's a normal thing. It also means they have freedom which they would not have with their own houses. You're only young once, there's no rush to be tied up with mortgage and home maintenance.

Adorelabradors · 23/12/2018 20:24

I think the 2 reasons they are house sharing is that they are newly qualified and they are in London.

When I was studying and newly qualified I lived in a high rise in a part of the city which even the most undesirable refused to live in which has since been knocked down.

I had a considerable amount of student debt but I made it a priority to get a mortgage and house. I had 2 young children as well.

This however was in Scotland not in London. Members of my husbands family recently visited and were astounded at the size of my current house and the cost. It is not in London.

If I was a doctor in London I am sure I could never afford a house as big as mine

ItIsChristmasTime · 23/12/2018 20:26

Central London prices and a huge amount of debt will hinder many people when it comes to affording to buy/rent a house.

Chocolate50 · 23/12/2018 20:27

I don't think it should matter what job they do either. I mean they chose that path knowing that they would take on debts when they were studying right?

Adorelabradors · 23/12/2018 20:33

The job is relevant because people expect doctors that be earning a decent wage. The reality is the wage will not be decent until all training is undertaken and a consultants post is obtained. That takes another lot of years of hard work. It’s a misconception that doctors have a high salary as soon as they graduate and start training

abacucat · 23/12/2018 20:49

It was exactly the same in the 1980's. London has always been very expensive to live in.

BoomBoomsCousin · 23/12/2018 20:53

If they are recently qualified I think YABU. If they had 5 - 10 years of qualified practice under their belts and had been saving I would be more surprised.

There was only really a very small period of time when people without family money could get on the property ladder in their 20s in desirable areas.

Shinesweetfreedom · 23/12/2018 20:58

I think part of the idea is if two people in that type of employment can’t afford to buy What hope is there for everyone else.

cestlavielife · 23/12/2018 20:58

Yes in 1990s I and cohort graduate trainees bought 2 bed flats on our own in zone 2 at 3x salary which was around £70k. With 7 k as 10% deposit.
Now you would need 300k+ so 30 k deposit and salary of at least 90k . Which is way above a junior graduate unless in finance?? But they could do help.to buy or shared ownership.
.... but yeh it s rubbish.

VickyEadie · 23/12/2018 20:58

I was a young teacher (age 23) in outer London in the early 80s, sharing a house with 3 similar young professionals. Was only able to buy a tiny 1 bed flat with my partner - having saved like mad for 5 years - when I was 28.

Original poster

blacknoire · 23/12/2018 21:05

What does family money count as?
Like everyone, we have little money to spare. Yes we are professionals too, but outgoings are high.

The only people I know who have children that have bought properties centrally having recently graduated, are those who have sadly lost their parents/grandparents. Therefore have inherited. DD could easily afford a flat, maybe even outright if she finished us all off

OP posts:

ID81241 · 23/12/2018 21:06

Why are people saying junior lawyers working in central London don't earn very much? I don't know any newly qualifieds in the city starting on less than £50k (low end boutique sectors such as media) and most start on 65-85k with a few in magic circle and US firms starting on £90k- £120k. But when I qualified as a city solicitor I still lived in a houseshare by choice... I can't speak for the doctor but maybe the lawyer is housesharing because he/she'd rather do that than piss away £1400pm for the privilege of living alone!

JustKeepSwimmingJustKeepSwimmi · 23/12/2018 21:11

50k is a starting salary!? I feel so out of touch to advise my daughter. Shes one of the brightest in her year and could do well, but I dont want her just floating into something like me for lack of advice.

kirinm · 23/12/2018 21:15

Well, my partner and I managed to rent a 2 bed flat in zone 2 for £1600 and one of us is a lawyer and the other earns less than a doctor so I'm going to assume they're either paid badly or aren't prepared to spend money on what it costs to rent an entire flat. Which is totally fine as it is extortionate but I don't believe a doctor and lawyer can't afford to rent more than a room.

MakeAHouseAHome · 23/12/2018 21:22

YABU. Our commute is an hour and 10 mins and we have just bought a 4 bed semi detached in Kent without help from parents.

If you are prepared not to live in Central London it is totally doable.

Bluntness100 · 23/12/2018 21:33

I don't know any newly qualifieds in the city starting on less than £50k

Yes, this is why I asked and don't understand it either.

eurochick · 23/12/2018 21:51

But solicitors do training contracts for two years first. For that they will be on about half that starting salary.

I'm a lawyer. I flatshared in the late 90s/early 2000s. Partly by choice, partly to save money to buy. I enjoyed it until my late 20s. Then I was done with flatshares and wanted to live alone or with a partner.

ID81241 · 23/12/2018 22:04

@eurochick yes but OP said they were NQs so I assume not training?

eurochick · 23/12/2018 22:19

Possibly. I don't think it's clear from the OP. "Recently qualified" could mean recently finished professional qualifications (degree and lpc) or recently finished a training contract. Even if an N Q, that could only mean earning that salary for a few months as most qualify in September.

Professionals don't get to have the sort of life they did years ago. A high street solicitor used to be able to live comfortably with a naice house, kids in private school, etc on a single salary. Most I know are slogging to find a bog standard suburban semi on two professional salaries in their 30s.

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