Does anywhere in the EU have affordable housing??

[KookyNotOoky]

So after years of being shafted by landlords and letting agents I'm looking to buy this year, and we all know the issues with the UK's housing market.

As I now work from home 100% and with my Irish passport on it's way, I'm seriously considering moving to an EU country, given the above and the general poor quality of life on offer here.

Are there any countries in the EU where decent housing is actually affordable? I don't want a flat - just a basic two-up two-down house or similar would suit me. Ireland would be the obvious choice due to linguistic/cultural similarity, however their housing market is as bad if not worse than Britain's. Scandinavia appeals though I understand cost of living is high. I like Spain also, however I understand most of the housing stock is flats. Holland is nice and convenient for trips home, however I understand housing is quite expensive there also. A bit wary of eastern Europe tbh due to unreliable legal system in many countries.

Any advice appreciated.

ps. this is a thread about housing, not Brexit - not interested in getting into that debate.

You're forgetting that there is a huge amount between the two extremes though.

Like most/many people, I live in a place that is not a big city, but is a town that is easily connectable to several larger towns and a large city. There are a huge number of jobs, amenities and so on, but also there are very affordable homes.

But as an immigrant myself I can assure you such places aren't immigrant friendly. You struggle to rent or even buy a house as a foreigner; doctors, teachers and bureaucrats don't speak English; and businesses in small towns and cities won't hire foreigners if they can get a local. If they're on a decent transport route, they won't be cheap anyway.

Where in the UK with decent connections to a real city is actually cheap? Only the North East, and there are only civil service jobs there, which aren't open to foreigners without excellent English language skills. Nowhere realistically commutable to London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Leeds or Manchester is cheap anymore, unless it's a shithole.

You absolutely can not assure me of that, I am an immigrant and my adopted home is nothing but friendly to me, thank you very much!

There are only civil service jobs in the whole of the North East? What rot you do speak.

Ireland is still cheaper than the UK

instagram.com/emerald_isle_homes_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Nowhere realistically commutable to London

What has being commutable to London have to do with it? People who live in other areas with cities and towns don't need frequent visits to London to enjoy life and exist 😆

You can’t just go and live in the EU since brexit, I know someone who has a villa in Spain and can only visit up to 90 days a year, which has effed up his retirement plans!

@Throwncrumbs OP has an Irish passport on its way- lucky devil!!

Have a look on daft.ie at properties around Castlebar - here's one I found: www.daft.ie/for-sale/terraced-house-24-castlehill-park-turlough-road-castlebar-co-mayo/3585385]]. Train link to Dublin, Knock airport not too far away, flies into Gatwick and Stanstead

There are some decent non public sector jobs in the north east. And where I was referring to in Denmark people commute maybe 30mins by cycle or 20 by car (cycling is more direct) to a city where there are lots of jobs and buy a house similar to your description for around 100k. Hardly a backwater. It's cheap for a variety of reasons not because it's grim. It's clean orderly people are relaxed and take their time and care for things. Ambulances turn up almost immediately when you call them too.

What is your budget?

How do you feel about Isle of Wight, or South Wales?

@newstart1234 Oh I agree with you- if you are happy to not live around Copenhagen or Aarhus there are a lot of cheap houses, often a bit basic and 'simple cottage' like for that money - but yes you can find them

Berlin isn't expensive at all compared to large areas of Bavaria. No, Berlin isn't (the whole of) Germany - it also isn't the most expensive area of Germany. The parts of the country with an abundance of well paid jobs are jaw droppingly expensive. We're 6 hours from Berlin and 40km from the nearest city and a bedsit would set you back half a million €.

Absolutely everything is more expensive than the UK in the more expensive areas too - for example the cheapest driving school locally charges 175€ for a two hour lesson (you're not allowed to teach anyone else to drive unless you're a licenced driving instructor and 17 year olds have to pass their test before they're allowed to drive with their parents until they turn 18).

Italy would be my pick, personally. Germany is a lot more expensive than British people imagine, especially as you go toward Bavaria in general and Munich in particular. Ditto much of Benelux (heavy emphasis on Ne and Lux) and Scandinavia. Lisbon is also a good option.

France can be affordable in less glamorous areas, but in that case it is important to educate yourself about the tax obligations you might be signing up for.

Norway or France
It can be done op your getting rightly some scare stories. But my friends just did France no issue.as long as you research, plan,get your head on it it was fine.

What’s the budget OP?

One option might be Slovenia, OP. The infrastructure there feels very like its Austrian or Italian neighbors, clean and tidy, gorgeous scenery with mountains and beaches easily accessible, and a lot of people speak English. Ljubljana feels like a vibrant European city but isn’t nearly so expensive as some of the larger and/or well known capital cities. I think you could have a nice quality of life there.

I'm in the south of Italy and a teacher. We rent, and on our two salaries will never be able to buy.

What you need to factor in with Italy is:

Cute little houses/bungalows in the countryside of the kind expats but for 45p and renovate are 45p for a reason. No mains electricity. No mains sewers etc. And people don't live out there. Not locals anyway. They all have one of these houses out of town (my in-laws do) but nobody sleeps there. They go for the day in summer. It's considered too dangerous to actually live out there.

Everybody wants to live in the town centres. Houses/flats in the town centres cost way more than in the suburbs. Our flat is a ground floor flat (they cost more the higher up you go) and we are in a small town about 20 mins from the centre. The flat is worth about 500,000.

Energy bills are sky high. Until recently Italy had the highest energy bills in the EU but kindly everywhere else has caught up.

Wages are lower.

Food prices (for anything not in season) are higher.

Our council tax equivalent is about £500 a year. We pay about £2000 for our water. Our gas is about £1500 and electricity about £1000.

I am always amazed at how cheap everything is in England. Italy is not cheap.

Agree, I think the average house price here in Milan is € 5,185 per square meter, for a one bed flat in the suburbs, you'll pay around €1500 per month in rent, that's more than the average monthly wage, in the centre you'd pay around €3000 for 70sqm flat. I bought an corn fed chicken on our local supermarket this week, it cost me €14! Italy is not cheap by any means, I lived in Milan for over 20 years, & UK is still much cheaper! DH & I work we have good full time well paid permanent jobs, but we still can't afford to buy in Milan.