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.

Well, you must move in different circles to me because most people I know who would consider downsizing are largely living mortgage free and would be absolutely screwed by stamp duty and fees. So don’t move, even if they may want to. But really this is beside the point. At no point have I ever said people shouldn’t be allowed to own or buy what they want. They absolutely should, I’d hate to see a world where people were forced to only own what they “need” as it’s extremely subjective. The only thing that annoys me is people complaining when more houses are built to home other people, as fundamentally we do have a housing shortage in this country and we need lots more houses.

I mean you could say a room is ‘utilised’ because it has a hamster cage in it. The word is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.

We bought a house with 6 bedrooms when there was just two of us. Then with in a handful of years there was 5 of us and a dog. So we extended it to 7 bedrooms, two dining's rooms and 2 sitting rooms. Then we sold that and with 5 of us, two dogs and a pony bought an derelict agricultural barn with no bedrooms, no bathrooms and no sitting rooms. Now they have left to university we are back to two of us. Which of those do you approve of?

My house was empty for 5 years. There was no competition. Nobody wanted this house but us.
We spent a long time renovating the house to be a perfect home for us. It would be more desirable now so are you suggesting we shouldn’t be living here?

You know some couples live in actual castles? Some more couples live in gigantic country houses. All of them probably have additional large houses abroad and a place in London.

I am jealous, definitely!

Blimey.

Adolf Loos has entered the conversation.

This 100%

Your post makes you look quite envious.Not a good look, @activedough

If you want to blame anyone blame Thatcher selling off the decent social housing stock and not replacing it. All social housing now is tiny flats. Thats a massive driver. There are 10 year waiting lists for a 3 bed where I live, certainly not enough stock to provide temporary accommodation, hence children in B&Bs.

Who put you in charge of what is considered ‘utilised’?

Home office they both used for most of each day. A music studio that was used in the evenings/weekends.
Those rooms saw more use than bedrooms that are just being slept in.

Why cant people have a room for hobbies? I know quilters who have a whole room dedicted to a massive cutting table, and other tables for their sewing machines. Why should they not be allowed that?
People also run craft businesses from home. Are they only meant to do that if they can balance a tray on their lap on the sofa?

People using a room for hobbies are not to blame for families in Air BNBs.

good for them. They’ve got the money and brought themselves a house!!

none of your business. If a family wanted to buy it then they could have put an offer in too, surely?!

maybe they are planning on having a family and are future proofing

maybe they need rooms for offices, guests, hobbies, yoga, their business…..

maybe they wanted more rooms to get the downstairs space or garden size they wanted.

maybe they just like space!!

i don’t see what the issue is

I don’t need 5 bedrooms and a massive garden for just me and my husband but I wanted it.
and we can afford it, so that’s what we have.
what’s wrong with that ?

Nobody. Why, am I now the housing minister?

And that's the posters prerogative, she doesn't have to ask permission how she uses the rooms in her own house.....

I say again, our house was for sale for two years before we bought it. Anybody with multiple children was able to buy it. They didn’t. That’s the funny thing about having multiple children, they are quite expensive. They reduce, at least for a time, your ability to earn, save and buy. Children are of course very necessary in our society.
But, in order for ME to buy this house, I had to work a lot, pay a fuck ton of tax and be a massive net contributor. We are also necessary in society. Don’t you agree?

Note to self: stop clicking on these dumb af threads.

How’s it selfish, there is hardly a shortage of 5 bed houses, it’s starter homes that are in short supply,

thry can live in any size of house they please, get a grip on your envy,

You’re the one trying to tell people what type of house they should live in!

Selfish?! What an idiotic thing to say.
This reminds me of a thread where PPs were frothing over "selfish" people buying more than their fair share of valentine's meal deals😂

I remember that thread 😂

I’ve said a thousand times. In my opinion (and I respect you have a different one), it’s wasteful and a bit greedy. In the same way I think flying by private jet when there’s space on a commercial flight is greedy, or people who hoard money when they have impoverished relatives are greedy.

I’m not suggesting we change the law, I accept people can spend money (or not) as they see fit. But this is just my opinion, which this thread asked for.

Does your judgement apply to all couples living in 5 bed houses or is it reserved for those who have decided not to have children? I’ve been pregnant enough times to fill all the rooms in our house, sadly we still have no living children. I hope our neighbours aren’t as judgy or shortsighted as you!

Or… maybe I’m just posting on a discussion thread and happen to have a different opinion to you?

‘Gauche’?

A couple in their late twenties who may well be planning to spend the next decade churning out babies?

You'd hate living in my village then.

People live in fucking massive 6+ bedroom houses round here.

My daughter's friend is an only child of 8, living with Mum and Dad in a 7 bed house with a bathroom in each bedroom, and two downstairs toilets, and a shower room.
Her other friends bedroom is bigger than our living room. Two kids in that house.
One friend has a kitchen bigger than the footprint of our entire house, and again, 2 kids.