To not want to buy property for fear of WW3?

[Vizella]

Hi all,

I’m finally getting to a stage where I’ve saved enough for a house deposit, earn well in a remote finance job and am willing to leave London to go to South Yorkshire and buy a house.

Then a niggling thought in my mind says, if your house is destroyed in WW3, all your savings will go down the drain and you will be left destitute.

I appreciate that it’s a crazy thought to have but Iran and Israel are at each other’s throats and Russia has no intention of backing out of Ukraine. When people had their cities bombed in the past, how did they survive?

Tell me if I’m being unreasonable? If so, why?

You could just cut out the middle stages and buy a house in New Zealand - it’s where all the billionaires who are worried about WW3 are planning to bunker down.

I remember reading a story from early 1982 about a Canadian couple who were very worried about the threat of all-out nuclear war. They did their research and found a spot that they calculated was the least likely to be either impacted directly or suffer from the subsequent fallout.

They and their children arrived in Port Stanley about two weeks before the Argentinians. 🤷‍♂️

the states that dont have those things are the ones closest to Russia........

Aus wont have anyone, so maybe New Zealand? Or South Asia as the aggressors are less likely attack those nearest to themselves (yes China, I am looking at you).

New Zealand has a lot of earthquakes...

Oh sure… when WWIII starts you want to run to America where all the guns are…typical 🤣

As long as politicians are threatening to use nuclear weapons, you can be sure they won't.

The only times anyone used them on civilians, they didn't warn beforehand.

So by that measure this is possibly a v safe time, nuke-wise.

Regardless if it does happen, if you're in your own house you can take the doors off, prop them against the walls and live behind them. That's what they told us in the 80s anyway. If you did that in a rented house you'd lose your deposit, for certain.

Good point. I stand corrected.

TBF, I grew up during the cold war and had massive concerns about our house not having a cellar. I worked out if we moved really quick, we could make it to my friend's house which has a cellar during the four minutes warning.

I went off the idea after reading 'The Domain' in which one character's house collapsed leaving him unable to get out of his cellar after his food ran out so he died anyway (at the time the novel was written, the idea was there would be an all-clear after a period of time, can't remember how long). Of course, the other big problem for survivors in that novel was the mutant killer rats everywhere. Kind of puts a dampener on surviving.
Sorry, OP, I know it sounds like I am taking the piss, but at the time for me, it genuinely was a real fear, so I do understand your concern, but agree with others that it's not good to restrict your life because of a possible war that will be fought in the way you imagine, and your options if it does happen might not include being able to buy your way out with liquid assets.

Depends where you live, some parts don’t have earthquakes at all.

😂

OP,I recommend making yourself a nice cup of tea then sitting down and watching Threads,it's on Youtube. If that doesn't convince you to buy your house and live for the now nothing will.

Sorry LovelyDaaling,didn't mean to quote you there!

The point I suggest of a house is that whatever else happens you can still live in it - assuming that hoards of Londoners who previously would never have gone 'sarf of the river dont try and take it off you after whatever disaster has ocurred

But they all may end up with Trump or whoever succeeds him

LOL to thinking America is a safe country! Honestly, I'd let the nuke get me rather than move to 'middle of nowhere' America!

But if you really think it is, why don't you move there now? It will be a lot easier now than when WW3 has broken out.

So in this scenario the war has reached sleepy Yorkshire, presumably millions of brits are homeless and displaced, the NHS is completely overwhelmed, presumably water and power are also heavily affected at this point, but BA flight 237 to New York is scheduled and on time and your sat in the airport lounge eating your fry up? 😅 sounds like a plan

This is crazy.

Why do you do ANYTHING when WW3 could start tomorrow?

Also, if WW3 has made it to South Yorkshire, it is absolutely too late to be fleeing to America

Unless you have your savings in cash under your bed, do you also think you'll be the only one trying to empty your savings account in the event of an imminent attack? How do you think that will play out?

If WW3 starts then we’re all dead anyway so it’s a moot point.

You can’t forecast the future, buy your house and live in the now.

Bloody hell. What a thread. Thanks for that morbid thought. But, if it does happen, my input is very little and I'm of the belief that worrying doesn't help. I'm sensing you are a very anxious person generally OP.

This

I have seem some insane stuff on here this up there

Aw OP you really haven't thought this through.

In the very very unlikely event of WW3 you'd have about 30 seconds to get to an airport, buy a ticket, board and take off. One of the first things that'll happen is closure of all airspace and cancelling all flights anywhere.

All banking transactions will also be shut down so no monies will be going anywhere.

Roads (those not destroyed in bombing) will be closed and troops will be ordered to shoot anyone trying to go anywhere.

You won't be going to the next town never mind overseas!

If you are really that worried either move to this mythical "safe" US state now so you're in situ when it all goes tits up, or buy a place here in the country where you can build a shelter and stock it ready.

In either scenario don't forget that hundreds (or thousands) of survivors will also want your shelter and supplies and they will kill you in a heartbeat to get it, so you need guns and ammo.

All in all your best bet is buy a house and get some therapy for your anxiety.

What’s your job, OP?

Instead of feeling helpless you could change career to work in a field that is involved in mitigating the chances of World War III. Government, intelligence services, United Nations, NATO, defence, development agencies, even many top corporates have teams working to advise and influence States on international relations. All of these organisations offer a range of jobs to a range of skillsets, from HR to PR, cleaners, comms, researchers, to ops, policy makers and IT. Many UK based roles available even for international orgs. May help you feel a bit more pragmatic about the relatively low risk of armageddon, and like you’re doing something positive? Plus, buy the house and ignore your siblings!