AIBU to think a couple moving into in a five bedroom house is selfish?

[activedough]

AIBU here??

I’ve noticed that a couple have recently moved into a 5 bed detached property in my area. They don’t have any children…

I honestly don’t understand it. Why on earth would two people need five bedrooms?! Surely a house that size should be going to a family who actually needs the space?

It just seems incredibly selfish to me when there are families struggling to find suitable homes.

WTF has it got to do with you, OP? Anyone can buy whatever property they bloody like. I’m currently buying a 3 bed property on my own. I didn’t realise I had to get permission from you first.

Presumably the motivation for your post is jealousy that you can’t afford a 5 bedroom house…

Don't think I've ever seen a thread blow up so quickly!!!

Shock horror, people doing what they want with their own money.

It's very self-absorbed to think you know best how everyone else should live.

As it happens, they're a young couple of child-bearing age who could easily be expecting to fill the house with children, but if they don't, so what? Perhaps they can't have children, so they've thrown themselves into their jobs and interests to compensate. They may need or want a home with room enough to accommodate their hobbies and wfh. Why should they feel bad about themselves for wanting a house that suits them? They didn't stop a family of five or six from bidding on and buying the house, and there are other homes of a similar size available.

We have more bedrooms than people, but we use the extra rooms for wfh and hobbies. Our owning a larger home than we 'need' is no-one else's business. Who are you to say what anyone else needs, anyway?

I assume they are purchasing this home and not allocated via social housing need. Therefore not selfish at all. Maybe they just want a big house, maybe they have lots of family to stay, or maybe they are going to foster multiple children. None of it is your business and pretty bizarre to decide who can purchase what according to your rules. As they say, mind your own business.

Maybe they’re planning a family. Far easier to buy the property they’ll need for that than have the hassle of selling and then buying a bigger property once children arrive. Could be any of several other reasons- a parent moving in or them needing a home office. Can’t see what they’re doing wrong.

Perhaps you are talking about me and DH.

We both work really hard. We are finally seeing the benefit of that.

It's really not that big, when we need an office each.

Plenty of room now for our families to visit us. We both live a long way from home, we've had to make those sacrifices to build a career. We've not had the space to accommodate that before.

Our stamp duty bill was horrendous. We pushed for as much as we could get an intend to stay here until retirement. It didn't make financial sense to go 'a bit' bigger.

We didn't take this house from a family. This, and most others of this size, are struggling to sell at the moment. We did sell a small house to a first time buying family, the first time buyer market is thriving.

We have no children and do not plan on having any. That's a big part of the reason that we are able to afford this house. If we had children we certainly wouldn't have built up the same amount of savings / equity / disposable income. I'd rather have the big house.

My dog did need a bigger garden though.

How is it ‘waste’ ? People are telling you how they use the space in their house. Just because you choose to use space differently doesn’t mean other people are wasting their space.
And people aren’t ‘taking’ these houses. They’re buying them. You talk like they’re being stolen from bigger families.

🤣 Obvious AI is obvious

She isn't in another thread saying she had 2 kids?

Their money, their choice. If they own it, they can have as many rooms empty as they choose. Because it’s theirs,

Myself, DP and DS (18) live in a five bedder OP. Guess what, my house bunnies, have their OWN room, all for themselves! DD pops home now and then, but most of the time, it’s just us.

Nowt to do with you OP. People can buy whatever size property they want!

They might have family who will stay over! Get a life fretting over this. Edited to add, we have one child but a 5 bed house. Should we downsize for the greater good?? Honestly. This forum is full of nutters.

I bought a 5 bed house with DH when I was in my 20s . Maybe people thought we were selfish but we hoped to have kids. We now have 2 DC (so can we keep the house?)

I have 2 children. DH and I have separate bedrooms as I’m up a lot at night with a medical condition. His bedroom doubles as both our home office - we both wfh at least 3 days per week. So all rooms in use as bedrooms and one doubling as an office for 2.

You are talking into a void. @AgeingMillennial didn’t NEED to have two children, nor does she NEED a four bedroom house. She does however, very evidently, NEED to judge other people for their choices. And that is “ a bit mad”.

Exactly. They are presumably well off and quite probably planning a family. They might both need an office and might well have parents staying at times. So that is one master bedroom, two kids’ bedrooms, one upstairs office, one guest room.

I think the distinction between 4 people in a 4 bedroom house, and 1 or 2 people in an 8 bedroom house, is clear to anyone with a half a brain!

The chance would be a fine thing!

Seriously though, I wouldn’t choose a 5 bed house just for me and my husband but I’d like a 3 bed. One for us, one spare and one as my sewing room.

Most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Why have they bought a five bed house? Because they want to.

I don’t need 70 pairs of shoes but I fancied them. Am I aware some people can’t afford any shoes? Yes. But me buying a pair of shoes won’t help someone who can’t afford a pair will it. Bizarre.

We have 2 bed semi with a tiny garden we can hang washing out in and sit with the dog. We had a 4 bed detached years ago and a couple of acres grazing for horses. Who needs stuff when you are getting old? Let young ones have it.

Obviously they might be intending to have 3 children at their age? What are you on about?

Indeed.
The hypocrisy is staggering.

It is extremely odd to be offended by a couple moving into a house that has many seemingly - to people who don't know them - "spare" rooms. You have no idea about the protections, plans and practicalities that will have fed into the decision to move into this property and pay the consequent rent/mortgage/bills.

OP, not only have you noticed this and had thoughts about it, you've felt the need to start a thread about it and were expecting people to agree with you that they were "selfish". This level of engagement with what other people are doing, which has no negative impact on you whatsover, is a sign of your own disatisfaction. You could explore that with a therapist. Good luck.

Nope, what is clear is that you want to make the choices YOU want (two children, four bed house) but expect everyone else to choose only what they “NEED”. Batshit springs to mind.