What is a "starter home"

roseland69

1-2 bed house / 2 bed flat

Really2 wrote: »

Just thought it was a coinsidence as roseland is in devon and you loged off when they started laying it on about bedsits.

A subject no one mentioned.

I just thought it odd you have a fan:)

Nah, I'm in London. I come from Dorset though, originally! And plan to retire back there too because its the best place to be

edited to add: Again, Bedsits WERE MENTIONED IN THE POLL!! Do keep up 007!!

Really2

Other - Explained.

roseland69 wrote: »

edited to add: Again, Bedsits WERE MENTIONED IN THE POLL!! Do keep up 007!!

As said before no one mentioned it other than graham the poll maker. Keep up moneypenny:D

neas

1-2 bed house / 2 bed flat

obviously 2 bedroom... but if you can afford it go for a 3 bedroom.

More room to expand into and you wont be sat selling/buying twice... and if you have friends over or down from up country you can have them stay over.

Because of HPI/HPC we are skipping the 2 bedroom rung and just going straight to 3 bed.

Graham_Devon

1-2 bed house / 2 bed flat

roseland69 wrote: »

Nah, I'm in London. I come from Dorset though, originally! And plan to retire back there too because its the best place to be

edited to add: Again, Bedsits WERE MENTIONED IN THE POLL!! Do keep up 007!!

Bedsits were also mentioned in the thread which sparked this poll off, which is why it's in the poll.

worried_jim

flea72 wrote: »

to me, a starter home, is a property that is small, but has its own garden. So by the time children arrive, you will have to think about moving on, as you just dont have the space

i wouldnt say a flat of any size, would fall into the starter home category, as i think of 'homes' being a house rather than a flat

Flea

omg I am "homeless" !

Fire_Fox

1-2 bed house / 2 bed flat

I've always thought it a waste of money (fees etc.) to go up the property ladder one rung at a time. My first home with the ex-husband was a three bedroom terraced cottage - we knew we'd need two bedrooms immediately as he needed a home office so we stretched to three with the aim of staying put for many years.

My first (and only) 'starter' home after the divorce is a two bedroom flat for much the same reason. I needed one bedroom but two gives the option of a lodger, home office, guest room, baby, let to couples or sharers. To achieve that I compromised by buying in Bradford, but I bought for cash. I look at my brother's and girlfriend's one bedroom Wimbledon pad and massive mortgage, they just seem so cramped and are already talking of the next move.

baileysbattlebus

IMHO, as starter home is about what you can afford.

If you want to buy a property and can only afford a 1 bed house/flat in your area - that will be your first home - whether you are single or a couple.

If you can afford a 2 bed house/flat that is what you'll buy.

If you can afford a 3 bed house/flat that is what you'll buy.

Stumpycat, we lived near Edinburgh quite a lot of years ago - and flats were equally as desirable and acceptable as family homes as houses were. I don't understand the negativity towards flats in England - it always seems as if people look on them as 2nd class accommodation.

In my own purely anecdotal experience, one of my daughter's friends (on her own) bought one of these:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-25774967.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27364&minBedrooms=1&maxBedrooms=1&pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FsearchType%3DSALE%26locationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27364%26radius%3D0.0%26displayPropertyType%3D%26minBedrooms%3D1%26maxBedrooms%3D1%26minPrice%3D%26maxPrice%3D%26maxDaysSinceAdded%3D%26retirement%3D%26partBuyPartRent%3Dfalse%26_includeSSTC%3Don%26sortByPriceDescending%3D%26primaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26secondaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26oldSecondaryDisplayPropertyType%3D%26newHome%3D%26auction%3Dfalse%26x%3D98%26y%3D17


Another one of the kids' friends bought one like this - on her own
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-21400675.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E16197&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=1&maxBedrooms=1&pageNumber=2&premiumA=true&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E16197%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26minBedrooms%3D1%26maxBedrooms%3D1%26index%3D10

Another bought one of these - as part of a couple.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-12782127.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E27364&minBedrooms=2&maxBedrooms=2&pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E27364%26minBedrooms%3D2%26maxBedrooms%3D2

My daughter bought one of these with her partner as a first home
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-21069553.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E16197&minBedrooms=2&maxBedrooms=2&pageNumber=1&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E16197%26minBedrooms%3D2%26maxBedrooms%3D2

Another friend (part of a couple) bought one of these.
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-12735477.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E24540&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=3&maxBedrooms=3&pageNumber=3&backToListURL=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Ffind.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DREGION%255E24540%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26minBedrooms%3D3%26maxBedrooms%3D3%26index%3D20

These were all recent - within the last 2 or 3 years. I could post more, as quite a few of the kids' friends have bought in recent years - they range in age from 26 to 30.

Some are properly single - or were when they bought - some bought as couples.

The interesting thing is that they all lived at home until they bought, even the one's who are part of couples. They did it the more traditional way, they lived in their respective parents' houses until they bought and then moved in together when they had bought their own place. They didn't rent somewhere and then save a deposit, that would be pretty tough here as rents are high.

Of all our kids friends who have bought property - and over the last few years there have been quite a number of them - only one of them has bought after being in rented property - they got money for the whole of the deposit from parents. The rest lived at home and saved.

Perhaps the moral is you can't have your cake and eat it. If you rent, especially in an area of high rents, saving a deposit will be very difficult. The cheapest 1 bed flat in our area is 650 - sorry can't do a pound sign - I'm in the US at the moment and can't be bothered to change the keyboard settings.

roseland69

1-2 bed house / 2 bed flat

Really2 wrote: »

As said before no one mentioned it other than graham the poll maker. Keep up moneypenny:D

Irrelevant. It was mentioned. That's enough reason for someone else (me) to mention it too. It was the reason I posted. Because I don't see a bedsit as a "starter home".

Running out of James Bond witticisms!

I think from reading this thread that the general consensus is that if we want a starter home we should be able to afford one (aside from the issue of what constitutes a starter home..!) .

For me the problem is the affordability part. Because 10 years ago many couples could afford a modest little place to call "home", outright by themselves through hard work/savings. Now... its all shared ownership. Or nothing at all. Even though they are still working just as hard and saving just as hard.

If house prices were to keep on going up (which they aren't and won't for the forseeable future, thank heavens) then there would be no starter homes as only the wealthy could afford property FULL STOP. It would be an academic point, argued on forums like this:

"anyone remember those things they called starter homes in the olden days"

Really2

Other - Explained.

roseland69 wrote: »

.
If house prices were to keep on going up (which they aren't and won't for the forseeable future, thank heavens) then there would be no starter homes as only the wealthy could afford property FULL STOP. It would be an academic point, argued on forums like this:

"anyone remember those things they called starter homes in the olden days"

A point i am trying to get over on another poll, but it as turned in to the usual bulls vs bears.:(

stumpycat

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Bedsits were also mentioned in the thread which sparked this poll off, which is why it's in the poll.

I thought Bedsits were now 'Studio Flats' in Estate Agent Speak? :rotfl:

*runs away fast*