Are prices shooting up where you are?

[Focusanddetermination]

Just that really. I'm in a small Midlands town, have a high amount of activity and prices shooting up in the past few weeks even.

I thought people would be more hesitant with a looming recession, but it's almost the opposite.

@serenada I'm referring to the gazillion coffee/sandwich shops in central London.

@Barrychuckle2 I really want your optimism to be right but it's not what I'm seeing, I'd love to see London prices rise myself for financial reasons, but from what I see and hear they are being temporarily masked by the 'I want a different set of walls brigade'

I've only recently bought, and rising prices is the last thing I want to see. People are already struggling to purchase. Why would anybody hope to make it more difficult for them?

@notheragain4

Do people seriously believe the whole working from home will become the norm? I personally can't see it happening. The govt won't allow it to happen

The government is one of the most supportive employers for WFH! It was the civil service live event last week and it was brought up countless times how we as a society are moving to more WFH and how great that is for the civil service to broaden job availability outside of London. So if the government are so anti WFH they've got a funny way of showing it.

Yes I know this, but would they be advocates of 3+ days a week from home? I can't see there being a great deal of support for this, and if it became the norm, I'm sure the govt would interfere to discourage it.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, the public advice from Boris seems to differ from Chris Whitty. Clearly Boris and his cronies have an obvious agenda, I'm well aware of this.

@Smallgoon the civil service agency I work in we can work from home up to 4 days a week, it's now being talked about flexing it even more post Covid. Civil service jobs I'm seeing advertised currently in my sector are being advertised as available homeworking, I've not see that before (in my sector). If it was something the government were so frightened of I don't think they'd be embracing it to the extent they are internally, there are always winners and losers in these circumstances, so it'll be who can lobby the government hardest, I'm not sure how much lobbying power Pret will have over say Microsoft, for example.

So what is this all about then...? @notheragain4

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/lockdown-work-return-office-when-coronavirus-covid-boris-johnson-a9624286.html

I'm just making the point that he is in direct conflict with what Chris Whitty has been advising the public... So why...?

@Greenhats10

Why, do you think? I dont understand it. I would have thought wise money would be sitting back watching whats happening and being cautious not buying now. Unless it is people who know that if things get tougher they wont be able to get a similar mortgage deal and are buying bigger to rent out, share with family,, etc

@Lego, Can I ask roughly where in SE London you are?

@serenada - no idea really. personally, it makes me quite nervous as prices are clearly going up but we'll be hitting a recession soon (if not already there). Who knows whats going to be happening by September/October - but it feels like a long way away if you're trying to figure out whether to buy or not

I can definitely see how WFH might become a lot more common, but would people really rather WFH the majority of the time? Personally, I've missed social interaction while in lockdown - not sure about anyone else

@Smallgoon I've no doubt that getting people spending at lunch time is part of it. But I also think it's because the government are mindful of how they've terrified people and are desperately trying to get them out the house again (to ultimately spend of course) WFH does exasperate that issue in the short term, but I don't think that's clouding their overall acknowledgement that WFH has ultimately worked for many companies and people.

Also, especially as they're Tories, I think they're trying to withdraw from this "wartime" government that dictates to everyone and enable employers to make the decisions for themselves.

I think it's for a plethora of reasons, not just because of cafes at lunchtimes. And it'll be at odds with Chris Witty and co who are looking at it from the opposite end of the risk spectrum.

Essentially they need to get the economy moving again. And that won't happen if people are now more cautious about spending money, and shut away indoors. There's a reason the hospitality sector has seen VAT cuts.

It's laughable really when Boris makes u-turn after u-turn. If govt hadn't dilly dallied for 3 whole weeks when the country should have immediately gone into lockdown, I imagine he wouldn't be pleading with us right now, to get back out there and SPEND, SPEND, SPEND!

sorry to hear about your flat. Does it have outdoor space?

It doesn't no. If you look on rightmove at my area however there are a tonne of houses which haven't sold either.

I'm in Lewisham.

Increased remote working was always the future however Covid has accelerated the process.

Lots of younger people already expect to wfh at least part of the time.

I can definitely see how WFH might become a lot more common, but would people really rather WFH the majority of the time? Personally, I've missed social interaction while in lockdown - not sure about anyone else

I agree, one thing I like about working with dc is the fact it was a separate environment. I think a balance is the best option. DHs office is looking at going from 3 days a month at home to 6 days a month in the office.

I dont understand it. I would have thought wise money would be sitting back watching whats happening and being cautious not buying now. Unless it is people who know that if things get tougher they wont be able to get a similar mortgage deal and are buying bigger to rent out, share with family,, etc

I don't get it either but you might be onto something. I was queuing for some takeaway yesterday and the person in front was on his phone saying he had just lost his job so was thinking he was going to have to stop proceeding with his flat purchase but the stamp duty cut meant he could still do it because he could now live off the savings he'd earmarked for that until he get a new job.
Then someone else behind me was saying she had offered on a house because come end of the yr she would have to take a pay cut so wouldn't be able to get the mortgage she needed to move up the ladder so it was now or never.

@Kurtain

So, he is not going to tell his mortgage company that he has lost his job? That’s how people are doing it?

@serenada - well maybe people like that should, but actually, if you have a mortgage offer and can afford the repayments then why not. people are willing to sacrifice a lot to stay in their house over and above what banks assess for as affordability. it might also depend on circumstances - in our case, we will have much, much cheaper childcare from March onwards but thats not been assessed as part of our affordability calculator even though we know that effectively we just have to survive till then and will have £500 more a month.

so it really just depends on personal circumstances, i guess

@serenada no idea!

I wouldn't take the risk personally

Yes, couldn't he jeopardise his whole mortgage if they found out?

@Kurtain- that's really interesting. Those strategies seem very risky though.

The Tories don't like to 'nanny' people. This sort of 'relaxed' attitude and general lack of leadership/ decision making ability has led to some massive mistakes having been made in their Covid response. The country now has to bear the consequences of their mistakes. In the same way I think they will want to encourage people to get back to their offices in town centres for economic reasons but won't enforce anything. We'll see what happens.

Hmmmn

@serenada

Yes, couldn't he jeopardise his whole mortgage if they found out?

Yes of course he could as he's technically lying to his mortgage providers. The mortgage is always subject to strict conditions.

That said, if he knew keeping up mortgage repayments would be a struggle, I'm sure he'd let them know and pull out. But if he has 50k in savings, for example, he probably won't.

@Smallgoon why can't they just tax the likes of Amazon appropriately rather than put it on the shoppers.

[quote notheragain4]@Smallgoon why can't they just tax the likes of Amazon appropriately rather than put it on the shoppers.[/quote]
God forbid they ever hold tax evaders to account...

Indeed!