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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think that following the lockdown there will be a lot of people looking to move house and area?

61 replies

Strangerthanstrange · 12/04/2020 15:06

I think there will be a lot of people who will look to move to be closer to family, to get a bigger garden or to live in an area with easy access to wide open space and beaches. I think it will change what we perceive as valuable. If the house prices tumble they might not fall in the way that they have done in the past.

OP posts:

Original poster

Strangerthanstrange · 12/04/2020 15:07

And also people wanting to sell flats to buy houses.

OP posts:

Thehop · 12/04/2020 15:08

We are desperate to move anyway

MaidofKent78 · 12/04/2020 15:08

Assuming of course, they can find suitable jobs within this idyll.

TigerKingisMental · 12/04/2020 15:09

I think it will be very hard to sell a house for quite a while tbh. So can't see mass movements in the short term

wolfmom · 12/04/2020 15:11

I'm torn on this as my mum lives the other side of the Mersey and none of us drive, but, partners parents live this side (father drives) and all 3 have health issues. I want to be nearer my mum, but, can't ask partner to move farther from his parents when he is needed to help care for his mum.

Original poster

Strangerthanstrange · 12/04/2020 15:14

It will be very hard to move area I agree, but if people have jobs, will we see a rise in house prices (or less of drop) in suburban and rural properties over inner city properties. The fear this will happen again might make people hesitant or more determined.

OP posts:

okiedokieme · 12/04/2020 15:14

I said that only yesterday to my dp. We are renting temporarily and think prices will shoot up here

TheGirlFromStoryville · 12/04/2020 15:14

We moved house at the end of January, from a terrace (Georgian, naice) to a modern detached with gardens. I didn't really want to move, it was more DH and children desperate for a garden rather than a courtyard.
I'm so, so glad we moved house. I agree with you op, though I think these are unprecedented times. Not sure if or when things will get back to normal.

Original poster

Strangerthanstrange · 12/04/2020 15:15

There is a great advantage in times like these to be physically close to family. And green spaces.

OP posts:

OhhhPeee · 12/04/2020 15:17

I think people who have tolerated issues with their neighbours will now be desperate to move after being forced to live in their vicinity with no escape.

People will also want more storage - garages, sheds, outbuildings etc. to store things for emergencies and newfound hobby equipment.

LilacTree1 · 12/04/2020 15:17

Yes but I think prices will shoot up in green space so I for one won’t be able to afford it anyway.

Jeezoh · 12/04/2020 15:19

I agree, although question if people will be able to if the housing market suffers as its expected to.

Lockdown has actually made us shelf the plans we had to move. Our current house has been more than adequate for our needs and we’ve had so much kindness from our neighbours that I’m appreciating what we have a lot more - I can no longer see the benefits of moving so think we’ll be staying put

Bert2020 · 12/04/2020 15:22

We had planned to go on the market the next week but obviously that’s off now. We need an extra bedroom, more garden and closer to family but this was the same beforehand. We are on a tight schedule just made even tighter so not sure what we will do. It’s made us realise just how lucky we are with our neighbours though so will be hard to leave if we can pull it off.

OddBoots · 12/04/2020 15:24

Some jobs will move to more working from home making a more remote home possible although others will not and it may be that those people will have got a taste for cutting down commuting and will want to move nearer their employer.

8by8 · 12/04/2020 15:28

We were trying to move when this started, now have to wait obv. But yes we’ll be trying to move as soon as it’s possible!

mumofone2019 · 12/04/2020 15:33

This reply has been withdrawn

This post has been withdrawn at the poster's request due to privacy concerns.

SparkyBlue · 12/04/2020 15:41

We had this very conversation last night OP. Yes I think the current situation will have people deciding they want to be nearer family or need a garden or whatever. Also I can see a lot of companies wanting to cut costs and have a lot more employees working from home permanently

TigerKingisMental · 12/04/2020 15:44

I think you are being very optimistic OP. There are 3 things that haven't even begun to take effect yet that will hugely impact the housing market making selling very difficult.

The looming recession that hasn't even got going yet. This will see the initial drop in house prices.

Mortgage availability and willingness to lend. Lenders will demand larger deposits by way of security, meaning those with small deposits won't be able to buy and in turn impacting first time buyers getting on the bottom of the ladder.

second property owners flooding the market. Those landlords who feel the tax changes hit their profits further or those who simply cannot afford to run a second home will try to jettison their properties which will flood the market, lowering prices.

I think people would be crazy to buy a house in the next 2-3 years tbh. We haven't begun to see the fallout from this.

LilacTree1 · 12/04/2020 15:49

“ Those landlords who feel the tax changes hit their profits further or those who simply cannot afford to run a second home will try to jettison their properties which will flood the market, lowering prices. ”

But that’s good news for people who want to buy!

TigerKingisMental · 12/04/2020 15:53

if they have a big enough deposit and are chain free of course! they will have their pick of properties and could probably beat the owner down on price. every situation has winners. It will suck for those trying to sell though

LegoBloodyHurts · 12/04/2020 16:00

I had in my head the market would grind to a halt, house prices will fall so people won’t want to sell during a recession. Perhaps a rise in repossessions sadly with the increase in unemployment etc.

I won’t be looking at selling for 5+ years now.

VioletCharlotte · 12/04/2020 16:01

Funnily enough I've been looking on Rightmove this afternoon. I live on an estate and the neighbours and noise are driving me mad. I've been lusting after houses in the middle of nowhere!

lazylinguist · 12/04/2020 16:04

YANBU. If we hadn't moved a few years ago, we'd certainly be wanting to now. I'm so glad to be in a rural area with open space and no overcrowding. The move put us hours further away from family, not nearer though. But our dc are beyond the age where we need help with childcare etc.

KillerofMen · 12/04/2020 16:09

The week before lockdown we were about to put our house on the market. Obviously cancelled everything but I'm hoping to get it all sorted as soon as we're back to normal.

BrieAndChilli · 12/04/2020 16:10

We are nearing 40 and still renting due to a variety of factors, we had no hope of buying as couldn’t get the deposit together. Sadly DH nan died recently which means we will be able to put down a deposit. Then coronavirus happened and I don’t know where we are or if we will be able to buy anything. If we don’t buy soonish we will be too old to get a long enough mortgage to make it affordable.

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