How do people in public sector jobs afford to live in London/SouthEast?

[KateSW1983]

Always been curious about how people in public sector jobs can afford to live in London and get on the property ladder? We live in London but earn a good wage between the two of us. Looking around us - I genuinely have no idea how teachers, nurses, policemen, staff in museums, libraries etc manage to live in London. They clearly do and London obviously needs them but how to do they manage to afford living in this city? Clearly not everyone leaves the South East, but I do often wonder why people stay and how they can afford to stay.

Many live in house or flat shares. DD earns £30k but has a house share with a midwife, an architect, and a teacher. It's all any of them can afford in central London, and if you live too far out you have commuting costs to add on so it all cancels out.

I'm in the South East and in a public sector job. I afforded it by buying a flat in 2008. Would have no hope buying one today.

The ones I know either bought their first home over 15 years ago and have gone upward on the ladder since, have inherited, or frankly struggle.

I seem to remember NHS and other public sector workers, get extra pay to work in London(London Weighting) and some areas in South also have this system which could contribute in a small way to the higher cost of living in these areas

We bought our house before the crash. No idea how young people manage it though.

I'm old. No way could we afford our house if we were starting out today (both public sector). We sold a flat in Zone 2 and bought a house in Zone 3 not long after DD was born, we've been here 11 years now.

This section of the site is turning into the property affordability census. Another post on how people afford property? Wow.

• Some people have inheritances. It allows them to get a property that would be previously unthinkable for most in London.

• Many people flat share deep into their late 30s in London, until they meet someone and they join savings/family money and buy something in an outer zone

• Many people commute in from family homes in satellite areas, or they trade the cheaper flat share rent for an increased Travelcard

I managed it on a charity workers salary...by living 50 miles out of London and commuting an hour and threequarters each way.

I understand how people used to do it but now? Obviously, if you're in your 20s/early 30s sharing etc is fine but families? But I see lots of families who clearly continue living in London but really cant be earning that much. It's obviously not only in the public sector either - but I guess if you'r ein the public sector then you could potentially move and get a similar paid job elsewhere in the country. I literally dont get how teachers at my kid's school/nursery or nurses at our local hospital survive. This isnt a boast or being goady - I have recently moved to London and still dont understand how it works.

@KateSW1983

I understand how people used to do it but now? Obviously, if you're in your 20s/early 30s sharing etc is fine but families? But I see lots of families who clearly continue living in London but really cant be earning that much. It's obviously not only in the public sector either - but I guess if you'r ein the public sector then you could potentially move and get a similar paid job elsewhere in the country. I literally dont get how teachers at my kid's school/nursery or nurses at our local hospital survive. This isnt a boast or being goady - I have recently moved to London and still dont understand how it works.

Well when you understand, I hope you come back and update us on this thread. placemarking until then

I'm NHS. I do a lot of overtime, but I own my own miniature flat in zone 2 (well, Nationwide does), and I get by just fine, thanks.

Lots of people are not just reliant on their salary for paying for housing etc, people have inheritances, are gifted money. Lots of the public sector workers I know have high earning spouses or family money.

Im old, well in my 50s, and bought our flat in the mid 90s when it was relatively affordabke. Never moved and mortgage now paid off.

Me and DH are both public sector workers and only managed to afford a deposit through the help of MIL.
Now we are on the property ladder we are comfortable thankfully but don't live luxuriously ie foreign holidays, more than one car etc.

Most who cannot rely on family money are under-housed. Couples with or without children, if both working in the public sector, can afford the monthly high rent but unless they inherit or otherwise come into a lump sum, they will be waiting a very long time to save up money to buy. If ever.

Most don't own and lots never will.

On a shoestring, well off partner, savvy choices. How does anyone afford to live anywhere or in any particular manner?

Partner who earns more than me

We rent.

They basically access key worker and affordable housing schemes. Move into and largely colonise unfashionable areas. Which eventually become fashionable as people seek affordable housing and family homes.

Some with move to satellite towns and commute.

We rent or buy tiny flats in zone 3/4 and squeeze the kids in.

NHS here. Rented flat shares until I was 35 and had scraped enough together for a 5% deposit on a tiny one bed in a commuter town. Sold after 4 years, added equity to DPs savings and bought a two bed even further out.

Many of my friends in their 40s still renting in London. Or stuck in help to buy flats they can’t sell or remortgage because of the cladding issues. It’s pretty shit in the SE.

Quite a few in South East London might commute from Ebbsfleet, Gravesend, Chatham, Isle of Sheppey, Medway area, coming along the A2.

Some areas, such as Belvedere, used to be less pricey 20 - 30 years ago, so older workers may have purchased some time ago.

There is quite a lot of shared ownership in South East London.

I know a young man of 29 who purchased a small terrace house just outside Orpington, about six years ago. He had saved up a deposit and had a bit of help from parents, but the property was reasonably priced. He catches the bus into Woolwich every day ( takes about 70 minutes), to work in a school. There are less expensive areas on the outskirts and not all of Kent is dear.

As well as inheritance, high earning partner and equity built up before 2008, there's also the possibility that people are travelling in for London weightings and more choice of jobs while living quite far out (I earn £1000s more for my inner London teaching job than for the equivalent in Kent and some colleagues commute way further than me).

I have also had younger colleagues resigned to paying 60% of their take home on housing, but they tend to move to boarding schools or abroad

My friends who are public sector either moved down to London when ah a higher band such as NHS band 8 so warning 60-70k and lived in flat shares. My teacher friend was given money from parents to buy a house and he has 2 tenants with him and also climbed the ladder very quickly to HT.

@mouse70

I seem to remember NHS and other public sector workers, get extra pay to work in London(London Weighting) and some areas in South also have this system which could contribute in a small way to the higher cost of living in these areas

It's about 3k a year- it helps a bit but it's not going to buy you a house!