Alternative ways of housing / living

Gothic Image indeed. And there are no easy solutions to the issue.

Without second/holiday homes there is no private long term rental/short term holiday rental sector.

How many if those criticising second homes live in private rented accommodation and/or rent flats/cottages when on holiday.  If none of you do I will be surprised but will be happy to apologise….

Edited by Carlos

YorVikIng said

Gothic Image indeed. And there are no easy solutions to the issue.

It can only get worse now that Covid and WFH have shown people they don't need to live within ninety minutes of Waterloo.

Gothic Image said

YorVikIng said

Gothic Image indeed. And there are no easy solutions to the issue.

It can only get worse now that Covid and WFH have shown people they don't need to live within ninety minutes of Waterloo.

Maybe the natives can earn a crust by cleaning the houses they previously owned and tending to the gardens? 

william_r_white said

Narrow boats are great if you can get a permanent mooring on a good rent. I have a few friends who live on narrow boats. One of my friends who lives in King's Cross in London says the the rent and mooring fees are now quite expensive and almost getting to be on a par with flats as the British waterways are trying to lower the amount of people living permanently I believe. As someone said earlier you can stay in one place for 2 weeks and then have to move on. Good luck in your quest. However tough it is, it is better than being bombed as in the Ukraine now.

Agree re Ukraine.  But like my advice to the OP above your mates may have to move.  Devizes is on the Kennet & Avon and there is plenty of scope to move up and down the canal to save fees.  Difficult commute to London though…..

Carlos said

Without second/holiday homes there is no private long term rental/short term holiday rental sector.

How many if those criticising second homes live in private rented accommodation and/or rent flats/cottages when on holiday.  If none of you do I will be surprised but will be happy to apologise….

Edited by Carlos

Huh? Is it a law of the land that any profit from rental holiday accomodation must be siphoned away from the community and passed on to a rich guy in London / England / Germany / wheverever-but-not-here [choose one or add extra options as needed]

YorVikIng said

Carlos said

Without second/holiday homes there is no private long term rental/short term holiday rental sector.

How many if those criticising second homes live in private rented accommodation and/or rent flats/cottages when on holiday.  If none of you do I will be surprised but will be happy to apologise….

Edited by Carlos

Huh? Is it a law of the land that any profit from rental holiday accomodation must be siphoned away from the community and passed on to a rich guy in London / England / Germany / wheverever-but-not-here [choose one or add extra options as needed]

I’m not sure of your point.  Do you use Amazon? Facebook? Starbucks? Morrisons? Buy Cadbury’s chocolate? I could go on.  Those that buy property and rent it out are fulfilling a need in the community, for permanent rental not available in the social sector or to bring in tourism.  Where the money goes is no more relevant than it is for you if you use the services of any, any at all, business not based in your community ie 99% of what you buy.  Get real…

Darlington is cheap, even when avoiding the dodgy areas. Easy commute to London, treasury moving there, wouldn't say it'll be a boom town, but it'll be less cheap in 10 years or so

On the edge of the Yorkshire dales and near the Moors.

Barnard castle is great, and still dirt cheap compared to southern prices

Edited by SteveDeansPhotography

YorVikIng not at all Tomas 🙂 I think it can be quite a contentious issue and rightly so. Alot of second homes do damage locals livihoods and the ability for locals to buy housing in their area. I think my mum and dad just fell in love with the area and the house but that doesn't necessarily make it right.

Though if that house ever comes back on the market, I will buy it and live there permanently.

I hope one day it will but as I think it's now lived in by a local, I'm also happy if it doesn't 🙂

Carlos my point is simply that it is easy to understand why people get living in relatively poor areas get angry when they see rich outsiders come in and drive up house prices so that their own children will never own a house. It is also easy to understand why some of that anger, rightly or wrongly, gets pointed at said outsiders. And when rich bastard blame them for shopping the only places they can afford, it’s likely to make thyme more angry.

Normally you come across as being both intelligent and smart. But your last post is as tone deaf as Marie Antionette suggesting that the starving masses should just book a table at The Ritz.

Sis Benedict and of course your parents and you are perfectly entitled to buy wherever you want to. Your money is as good as anyone else’s and I bet the sellers don’t care. It’s not an easy problem to solve. My point is simply that I can understand why there might be anti English feelings in some of the beautiful valleys.

Carlos really?? Essential service? I didn't realise landlords were such philanthropists.

Look at it another way. Landlords aren't there to provide a service. They effectively buy up all of the available space, making it scarce to then charge rent and make profit out of people who have no other choice.

The problem has gotten so bad that now, here at least, various restaurants, shops and delivery services are struggling and even closing due to no staff available.

Guess why? Very few can afford to work those jobs and live, either renting or purchasing.

Carlos said

YorVikIng said

Carlos said

Without second/holiday homes there is no private long term rental/short term holiday rental sector.

How many if those criticising second homes live in private rented accommodation and/or rent flats/cottages when on holiday.  If none of you do I will be surprised but will be happy to apologise….

Edited by Carlos

Huh? Is it a law of the land that any profit from rental holiday accomodation must be siphoned away from the community and passed on to a rich guy in London / England / Germany / wheverever-but-not-here [choose one or add extra options as needed]

I’m not sure of your point.  Do you use Amazon? Facebook? Starbucks? Morrisons? Buy Cadbury’s chocolate? I could go on.  Those that buy property and rent it out are fulfilling a need in the community, for permanent rental not available in the social sector or to bring in tourism.  Where the money goes is no more relevant than it is for you if you use the services of any, any at all, business not based in your community ie 99% of what you buy.  Get real…

Of course they aren't, they are looking after themselves. Buy to let should be banned as it extends the rentier economy which is bad for the real economy. When idle assets are more profitable than work, it degrades the productive economy and disincentivises work.

All economies are rigged, there is no such thing as a free economy. To improve the economy the government needs to incentivise work and disincentivise holding idle assets. Of course, the current government won't do that as nearly all ministers and MPs are all part of the rentier problem themselves.

Getting back to the OP. one of the reasons they have the problem they have is because of the rentier economy. 

Edited by K-arl

22 years ago, I got nagged into getting onto the property ladder at the grand old age of 26 and I'm glad we did when we did. How people even afford a mortgage these days is completely beyond my level of understanding - and that's without factoring in inflation and all the other increases we've got to deal with now. The key is to live within the boundaries of what you can actually afford...if you want something and question if you really NEED the shiny thing, or whether you just WANT it. The hard part is nailing that bit! And put another jumper or fleece on instead of turning up the heating!

Pragma Photography said

Carlos really?? Essential service? I didn't realise landlords were such philanthropists.

Look at it another way. Landlords aren't there to provide a service. They effectively buy up all of the available space, making it scarce to then charge rent and make profit out of people who have no other choice.

The problem has gotten so bad that now, here at least, various restaurants, shops and delivery services are struggling and even closing due to no staff available.

Guess why? Very few can afford to work those jobs and live, either renting or purchasing.

Try finding housing in Wales when the government there closes down BTL or makes them much more difficult.  The crisis will just worsen as with any attempt any where in the world. restrictions or rent controls just mean landlords take their capital and go elsewhere.  Result a further restriction of available housing…..unless the state steps in……which maybe it should but at the moment it can’t and won’t.  Without all the levers of power do a one sided piece of legislation will be disastrous.