To think you shouldn't expect to buy a home on a single salary?

[Fivebedexecutivehome]

Genuinely interested in people's thoughts.

There's no doubt there's a shortage of appropriate housing in the UK, and that prices make home ownership for many people on average salaries.

But I find a lot of reporting about the topic weird- lots of interviews with people who seem to want to buy a property by themselves.

most recent one on BBC but not unique:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7209lk8x2wo

My husband and I managed to get on the housing ladder a few years ago, early/mid thirties, both full time with a combined income of about 75k at the time, had been saving for about a decade towards deposit, plus a couple of grand from each of our parents to get it over the line. Got in towards the bottom end of the market of the (south eastern) town we live in.

I recognise both of us are quite privileged in lots of ways - having a bit of family support and salaries in the 30ks and 40ks. But there's no way either of us would have been able to ever buy a property by ourselves. But there's 68 million people in this country, surely the expectation can't be that everyone wants to buy a property themselves? And surely that's never been the expectation previously?

So there's this thing called mortality. At some point my parents will die, then (presumably after, but who can say) I'll die. That'll free up some space and resources, so maybe my kids could have a kid or two. Then they'll die. Sorry if this is new information for you.

@Fivebedexecutivehome OP, I wish I didn't read this thread, why are you so unpleasant to people?

Well that wasn't your OP though. You just pasted some random article and said single people shouldn't be able to buy. And said article doesn't make the distinction between flats and houses. It says house, yes but many similar use it instead of the word property.

Personally I think people in the UK are just going to have to get used to flats. Not those ridiculous London tiny ones but 3 bed even double story flats like other countries have.

Even if the UK embarks on a massive house building program it'll be hundreds of thousands at most not close to a million let alone several if it's all houses with gardens.

This is a badly written article tho and it just doesnt add up. Yes its difficult but there is an entitlement to a lot of these articles.

She earns 50k 2/3rd of which goes on rent and bills that leaves 1k disposable a month.
There are plenty of 2 bed flats in and around Birmingham for 150k which would require a deposit of £7500 if you include solicitors fees ect probably 10/12k . Even if she saved 500 a month she would have that in 2 years. From there she would be creating equity and paying down her mortgage if she wanted to move up the housing ladder.
I see a lot of people wanting houses or choices of property that they dont have the income for. Its not unreasonable to aspire to owning your own property but it is boring to keep reading these articles when there are options available to the person.
I do feel really sorry for the people earning low/minimal wages who cant make that work and get trapped into renting when they work hard their whole life but a single woman earning 50k in Birmingham needs to evaluate her spending or expectations because its achievable.

I never said "single people shouldn't be able to buy"

I said I didn't think it was reasonable for every individual person to aspire to own their own property, and that the media reporting on the issue of housing repeatedly focuses on individuals who are in crisis because they aspire to but cannot own their own individual property.

The people who accused me of homophobia, or the ones who've repeatedly wished my husband should walk out on me or even die? Those people?

Oh sorry, you meant the person who didn't think I should have children. Sorry, my bad.

Maybe just my view -, these debate topics bring about different views and people rear their ugly heads because agreeing to disagree nicely isnt a skill many on here have .... I kinda expect the OP to rise above them tbh

Stop trying to fight. Let it go

I bought my first home on my salary, it was twice my salary, now that house would be 5 times what my salary would be now.

This is silly. Renting, and the regular moves involved, can be stressful. Before Liz Truss a mortgage was often a lot cheaper than renting. Wanting your own safe space without tenancy checks, rules about pets, bikes, parking or even how you decorate your home is completely natural. Well done to everyone who has bought, whatever their circumstances. One of my parents bought their first flat on their own in 1984 which made it easier for my parents to buy their first house a few years later. I bought on my own and have managed my finances carefully and made overpayments so that I own 50% of the equity after 7 years.

Right, I don't know who OP is, but we can rule out all the economists and mathematicians in the country.

Your logic is out.

• Every adult wanting a home of their own would only be if every over 18 was single. - Not everyone wants a 3 bed house with a garden, there's plenty of people who live in flats, smaller houses, terraces etc.
• Single people already live somewhere, maybe renting on their own for example. So they don't all need new houses to be built if they buy somewhere. Them moving would free up that property for someone else.
• If everyone who wanted to could buy, there would still be people who choose to rent because of their circumstances eg younger people flatsharing.

Your comments make it sound like you only think those in couples or families are worthy to take up the resource of a house.

There are loads of houses in St Helens, for 130K, 1.5 hour from Liverpool but nobody's really rushing to buy there. Huh. It's hardly the middle of nowhere either.. I'd consider that rural Cumbria where property is actually ££££. Or maybe the middle of the lake district.

Or maybe you mean living a 1.5 hour train journey from Central London = the middle of nowhere...?

FWIW I think everyone should have access to a stable home whether it's home ownership or a secure tenancy.

I'm not sure about the 'homeowner' in isolation part, because, as I said, it's possible to build lots and lots of teeny tiny flats that nobody wants to live in.

Furthermore 'single' also covers parents with kids, if we had robust need based social housing, they could have a 3 bed for reasonable rent and still buy the one bed later in life If they really prioritised ownership over size.

The bigger point here it's really income , not relationship status, that's relevant.
I mean a lot of couples are also renting and can't afford to buy so what's the conclusion really..?

Your response bears absolutely no relation to what I said.

But either way I’m afraid it doesn’t change the fact that I have just as much right as you to own a house. So I do!

What on earth are you on about?

Is there a worthiness scale for home ownership? Are single people less worthy of home ownership than married people? No I don't think so. I'm a single parent and I single handedly earn significantly more than your combined income of two people. I'll buy what property I like and can afford thanks.

Thankfully the housing market operates on supply and demand. Cold hard cash and assets. Marital status doesn't come into it.

First property cost £125K. I bought it as a single person with a £18K deposit. It was a two bed flat in a lovely area (north).

Pretty pathetic to have to depend on who you're sleeping with (and your parents) to buy your house, while there are plenty of us grown up enough to manage it on our own...

@GettingAroundTown but that's exactly the point, I'm sure St Helens and lots of places 1.5 hours away from London are great places to bring up a family, for example, but if you're single but want to be in a relationship you need to be able to have a social life to meet people, and living somewhere which isn't a big city makes you much likely to stay single.

If you are going to live somewhere that is beyond a bus/taxi ride from a city centre, space to have enough people to stay for the weekend so that a friend might able to bring someone else with them to stay with you is necessary.

So the idea that single people have unrealistic expectations in terms of housing is unfair - to be in with the best chance of being in a relationship you need to ideally live in an urban area or, failing that, have space to socialise at home (even if that's a garden that your mates can camp in after a dinner party!!).

Exactly.
My ex bought a 3 bed house (with a massive garden) on his own.
It is about income, not relationship status. If you earn enough, you can buy on one salary. And like you said, some couples don't earn enough between them to buy too.
The thread title literally says "you shouldn't expect to buy a home on one salary", implying that single people should not expect to be able to buy... even if they earn loads.

Right, but in the meantime there's this thing called life in which you all have to live somewhere, which is what your thread is about.

I don't think there is a place in the UK cheap enough for someone on NMW to buy if they are on their own.
People on NMW do vital jobs.
Pretty shit of you to say they are not "grown up" enough.

Are you a bit dim OP? Not everyone in the country is single so why are you going on about the environment and talking about 38 million homes? Also what you mean is that people below a certain income level shouldn’t expect to buy homes which is pretty shitty and classist.

You're being a bit ridiculous. You don't need to be in a city center to meet someone. How do you think people in towns, villages and suburbs ever meet people?

HRTFT

Have a single family member. They live in a 2 bed apartment (small but lovely) and is now upgrading to a 2 bed terrace/semi with garden. That should be within reach of single people. They have no dependents.

I think single parents with 2+ children must find it really hard as you’re then looking at a 3 bed in 1 salary and other larger outgoings.