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.

Someone living on hard times will not be able to afford a 5 bed house, even if they needed it to be housed appropriately.

Because nobody ‘needs’ a games room. Sorry but they just don’t. It’s a bit cringey in my opinion. I wouldn’t want to broadcast that I have a games room when we have a housing crisis and the trickle down pressure means children are living in Air BNBs. 🤷‍♀️

But people who have fallen on hard times aren’t going to be able to afford to run a larger home, according to your earlier argument. None of what you propose works without people being given homes or money which aren’t theirs.

New build houses are very energy efficient, and don't exactly have large garden footprints, so are arguably less wasteful in terms of space and running costs than a 2/3 bed bungalow.

As for the rest, some people have more money than others, that's just the way of it.

We moved into a 5 bed house as a couple without children. Previously a family with 7 children had lived there.

We had equal rights to buy the house - and I’d argue we have made it a hell of a lot nicer and safer than when a big family owned it.

You’re missing the point entirely.

If - in some alternate universe - only families of 4 or 5 people offered on family homes, the competition would be less, and they would be slightly cheaper. That in turn would free up the houses they currently live in, and it would trickle down.

At school in the 80’s we were forced to eat all our (disgusting) lunch and told to think of the starving children in Africa. Whether we ate our food or not had no impact upon the children in Africa. If wealthy people can buy a large house it has no bearing on a family of 5 rammed in to a 2 bed flat.

Does their buying this house impact you directly?

Two possible answers, yes or no. But in either case, its none of your business. Someone was going to buy it, so does it matter who?

I mean, firstly, it's their money and they are free to buy whatever house they like. Maybe they are planning to start a family, maybe they have extended family that live a long way away and want bedrooms for visitors, maybe they both work from home and want an office each and have an extensive collection of trainers/shoes/ww2 models/kinky boots, maybe they need a selection of sex dungeons for all the parties they intend to have, maybe they want a bedroom for each of their 4 Bernese mountain dogs, maybe they have a wildly successful Amazon shop and prefer to store their goods at home rather than in a warehouse, maybe they need a room for tap dancing, maybe one of them is an artist and needs studio space, maybe one is a massage therapist or hairdresser and needs a treatment room. The list of possibilities are endless and every single one of them is absolutely none of anyone else's business.

I hope they enjoy their lovely home

Houses are to be lived in, not decorated as an ornament.

Are the kids living in Air BNBs waiting for social housing?
That is a totally different issue to people buying houses.

Sensible. Bought the house with extra bedrooms, before the kids come. Well that’s what we did.
Or, they chose to spend their money as they wished.

But people who WANT to downsize DO downsize? If I was paying a top dollar for having a huge house I would be VERY annoyed if someone suggested to me I need to downsize (and for what? If a large family wants an expensive house, they could buy an expensive house. If not, they can live in a small house - or in a council house).

We are not talking council property here. Large houses are expensive, if you cant afford one, you dont get to live in one. If you can afford it, there are plenty to buy, its not like there is a shortage.

No it isn’t. Houses are expensive because of competition. Trickle down economics are a thing. If fewer people offer on bigger houses they get a bit cheaper. The people in average size houses then leave and free up the average size houses for people in tiny houses. Less waste. Nobody should have 3 or 4 spare bedrooms, it’s immoral.

Houses on the market are not offered or priced based on what the buyers need, or how big their family is.
They offer a price, and the seller accepts.

Maybe they're going to Foster, adopt, start a family or get some pets... whys it your business?

Maybe they're doing it up as an HMO, for refugees.

You must agree then that the hundreds of thousands of second homes, holiday lets and airbnb places across the UK are a bigger problem than old Mary having a spare room.

My ex did not have spare bedrooms. They all had a use.
Might not be to your taste, but they were utilised.

There’s more competition for smaller houses. We bought. 4 bed house, looked at several, and there was no sense of urgency or competition, we bought for £15k under asking price and our backup choice also went for under.

I didn’t say we ‘needed’ it. Stop putting words in my mouth. I said we use the rooms in our house.
You don’t live here so why does it bother you what my 12 year old does in his own house?
I’m proud of the house I’ve been able to afford. Me living in my house doesn’t have anything to do with a housing crisis or children living in Air BnBs. It’s ridiculous to suggest it does.

Nice location, love the area, forever home....fits the budget.

You can save yourself thousands of pounds and much stress over the years if you won't need to upsize every time your family grows.

How is heating a 5 bed house for 3 people more wasteful than heating it for 6 people? The same amount of energy is used?

As I’ve just said there was no competition on our 4 bedroom house and as for immoral, I grew up in a crowded council flat with 3 of us in one room, plus step sibling in with us every other week so no I don’t think it’s immoral for my kids to have their own rooms because I can afford to give them that.

Of course it does. If everyone - in every aspect, not just housing - just used what they needed, within a general parameter, there would be far less waste and scarcity and overuse of resources.

I’m not a fan of individualism.