Things that make you think

[dit]

I was very troubled, though not entirely surprised, by this research from Middlesex University.


www.mdx.ac.uk/aboutus/news-events/news/mags.aspx

[devil-may-care]

Very disturbing, indeed. It's how to get around it that is going to prove difficult.

[crumbs]

Dec 9, 2011 4:12:22 GMT devil-may-care said:

Very disturbing, indeed. It's how to get around it that is going to prove difficult.

Indeed DMC. It's a huge topic. And a rather depressing one too.

[xjsarah]

Not something to make you think, as such. Rather, it's an observation based on my recent dealings with the property market, and proof that the decision my OH and I made to leave London and move further north was the right one.


This house is just around the corner from my OH's rented flat in Surrey, where we are staying until our forthcoming relocation. The asking price is pretty normal for that sort of house in this area.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-33996040.html


This next property is a similar distance from the house that we'll shortly be moving into (the rear is maybe 100 yards away, and is clearly visible from our new back garden). The asking price is not much more than that for the first house, but just look at it!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-22709277.html


This is a perfect illustration of just how ridiculously expensive London property is these days. All that extra cost, just to live within the M25 (in the case of that first house, only just within it), when you could move barely 150 miles further north and get a lovely house like the second one for not much more money. I don't know about anyone else, but I know which one I'd rather have.

[FizzyLogician]

Wonder if they used that issue where James was interviewed. And what he would think if he saw this study.

[dit]

XJS, this is something that I've noticed, and it's not good for anyone wanting to buy in the South (though of course it's very useful to those moving South to North!)

I live in Lancashire and have relatives in Buckinghamshire. I've long been aware that people whose jobs pay a wage that is the same nationally, such as young teachers and nurses, and certainly those on lower wages, don't stand a hope in hell of buying property in that area. My cousin, who's in business, didn't buy her house until she was in her late thirties, and though it's roughly the same size as mine she paid around twice as much as mine's worth.

[amie8]

Just out of interest, I had to look to see what the same money could buy near where I live, only 50 miles from London

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-36635108.html?premiumA=true

Or what you'd pay for a similar type of property to the Grantham one

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-34682029.html

Both of these are right in the centre of town

Before I bought my first house, 50 miles outside London was considered way too far, and house prices were pretty cheap, but now commuterland has spread out, pushing prices up, although not to absolutely silly proportions. Bottom end of the market (houses like mine) are around £150 - 180,000.

The problem is, there is really very little work available in these traditionally agricultural areas, apart from shops, hospitals, local council etc, so it's pretty much a necessity to look farther afield and London is basically your best option. I commuted for 25 years, before finding a local job. Local wages are worse than appalling, so young people can't afford to get a foot on the property ladder unless they're prepared to hoof it, and there are fewer "sweetener" deals available to first time buyers since the bottom fell out of the mortgage market.

So the cycle continues.