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

[Strangerthanstrange]

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.

This could be great timing for you then brie! What kind of LTV would you be looking at?

We've been thinking about it for a while but will definitely be looking to move. One neighbour is fab but the rest are just wankers in the extreme. Think loud music, drunken singing in the back garden, rows that over the years have woken us at 3am, burning plastics on bonfires, feral screaming children. I'll be very glad if the housing market is going strong and we can get a quick sale.

We are hoping that DH can increase his days wfh (currently it's once a wk) & then we will move out of London.

...which is a shame as we quite like our house.

I'd like my neighbour to move.

Does that count?

I am now bloody desperate to get away from the gammony arsehole next door, rather than just desperate to get away from him like I am most spring - autumns.

@TigerKingisMental - probably about 15-20% based on current house prices. But I’ve read lenders are now only giving mortgages based on 30-40% deposits so although DH job is as secure as it can be (one of the most business critical people at his company in a key industry) it might not be enough deposit so very selfishly I am hoping house prices drop which I know is shit for everyone else.

I will still be putting our flat on the market as soon as lockdown is over. We shall see if it sells! I am desperate to move and we were going to be looking to market the flat anyway.

My local community (London) has been so friendly, strong and mutually supportive that I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

I come from ‘rural’ and know it’s strengths and drawbacks, especially for and with teenagers.

Will know which houses around have asshole neighbours when more pop up for sale in a few months then!

I was thinking about this the other day in terms of people who have found themselves in very vulnerable situations because they live rurally but don’t drive, etc.

I don't want to live particularly rurally, i would like to live near the sea. I also would like a bit more value for money.

That's actually a really good point, Snowflakes. Will be asking why others are selling too.

We had hoped to move in a few years. I doubt that will happen if the housing market crashes. In the short term though, I'm quite happy where we are. No, we don't have a huge amount of space, but we still need to be close to our local city (and another within reasonable commutable distance) as it's easier to find work that doesn't need a car to get to.

What has happened certainly made me miss rural life in the short term, but not enough to reconsider our whole lives in terms of location.

Hmm, we sold a city centre flat in September and are renting as our forward purchase fell through.

As no chain buyers with a decent deposit (about 60% at today’s prices) we are in a strong position. My fear is that the market will freeze though. I suppose the three Ds (death, debt and divorce) mean that there will always be some houses for sale. If prices drop enough we could potentially buy a doer upper for cash and just live in while we gradually do it up. I don’t really want to keep renting long term, as it feels like a waste of money.

Brie I think they will drop based on my first post. There is a perfect storm on the horizon. Prices have been so high for so long due to BTL/second homes pushing up the market it has priced out the vital wrung on the ladder, first time buyers.

I also feel sorry for the help to buy crowd. Those new builds were inflated in the pricing and its scandelous how much they sold them for when you look at the government money they got off the back of the deal. The government should have had tighter pricing control given their involvement.

Plus every time I miss my old rural life at the moment, I remember that without a car this whole thing would have been an absolute nightmare in terms of getting supplies. Even a corner shop was a mile away....

The belief is that the market will stall into nothingness this year, but that when things grind back into action in 2021, prices will not be hugely affected - 3% down is the current prediction. I can see a lot of people wanting to move out of London and other big cities to places that are still commutable but have decent gardens and distinct communities, and easier access to wide open spaces. I hope so anyway, as that's exactly what I'll be selling. I'll be emigrating, if anywhere will accept germy Brits by then.

As much as I'm craving green space (tiny yard here) the situation is ultimately temporary one way or another. The reasons I enjoy living very near a city centre won't change, by and large.

I will be painting every single room though, I am sick of these colours!

@TigerKingisMental

Yes, I was reading an article on help to buy the other day. Buyers pay a premium for their new house but when they come to sell it is 2nd hand and help to buy isn’t available for it, so unless there has been a period of high property inflation it could be worth less than what they paid for it. Someone in the comments called it help to build as the benefit of the help to buy loan has gone to the builders, not the buyers.

Since this has started I have come to the conclusion I would much prefer to live somewhere rural/isolated (much to my DH surprise as it is what he has always wanted and something we have never agreed on ).

I live in a small city and am really lucky to have a garden where we have spent an awful lot of time since lockdown but I dont want to live somewhere built up. We can't afford to move but it is what I really want now.

I own a city centre flat with private garden. There is absolutely zero chance I'll be selling. Always enjoyed having a garden, but it's been a godsend during the lockdown.

I never would have wanted to live in a flat with children lockdown or no lockdown, so I feel sorry for those that do. (I understand that it’s not always a choice) a garden is essential for me. Saying that I have awful neighbours who have been out all day every day screaming and shouting can hear every word they say, and blasting awful music, and they aren’t even right next door so it’s not all great!

With the numbers of older people dying, you have to assume a significant amount of property will be coming on to the market from that perspective. That may help lower prices for first time buyers.

I’m not sure about that @howaboutanewname

I’ve read reports saying that a lot of the people dying would have died in the near future due to age and other conditions. We won’t know for definite that there has been a much higher amount of deaths than usual, until we see the year on year figures.