So what have we learnt from the recession?

IveSeenTheLight

penguine wrote: »

I don't really think this is the case. There have been so many property development programmes on TV the past few years that I think demand has actually gone up for these kinds of houses. Lots of people see it as a way to get a property done up exactly the way they want.

Unfortunately though even fixer-uppers have been really overpriced recently. Last summer we were looking at buying a terraced Victorian house that needed a lot of work. We loved the house, but it hadn't been modernised since the 1950s and the sellers wouldn't come down below £270k on the price. That wouldn't have left us enough money to do any work on the house.

I would agree on one off properties in areas that need renovating could be done on an individual basis.
I'm talking about whole estates where the property is undesireable and become delapotated.

From the OP's link to http://www.emptyhomes.com/, would you fancy taking on one of these to do up?

Graham_Devon

I very much doubt you would be able to do them up.

A lot of these homes are in these kind of states as the council / government want to do something with the land, and this is one way of getting around the various planning problems associated with such ventures.

I know the streets of houses in liverpool boarded up and empty are all because of planning. The council wants to build new stuff, but there are problems associated with this, so they have basically spat the dummy (but in a much more involved sense!!) and left the houses in a condition which doesnt allow people to move in, and doesnt allow for anything useful to happen with the land.

At that point, it's just a waiting game to get the go ahead to demolish and build what they wanted.

Developers have tried to buy, but the council are having none of it.

A bit like Sainsburys buying land and leaving it empty to stop Morrisons building a store.

kabayiri

What have 'we' learnt from this recession?...

Hmm, trick question , right ?

There is no 'we'.

The minority rich and political elite led us into the financial chaos which fed into the recession. It was in their interest to persuade largely ignorant masses to buy into the property / credit dream.

And funnily enough, the bailing out of the banks allowed these people to deleverage some serious postions without losing their shirts.

So what did they learn? Nothing. Or rather that the phrase "privatise the profits, socialise the losses" really does hold true.

These very people are hoping for a return to the credit-fueled society, because that is where their future wealth lies.

And the masses? The masses will follow the herd mentality, just as they are told to do.

nembot

I think we've learn't greed can take over peoples lives and how incredibly important it is for them tell others how much their house increased in price over the last month.

The real facts are we're at the second precipice, and the next fall is the big one...

Forget 15% peak to peak, try 35% minimum.


nem

System

nembot wrote: »

I think we've learn't greed can take over peoples lives and how incredibly important it is for them tell others how much their house increased in price over the last month.

The real facts are we're at the second precipice, and the next fall is the big one...

Forget 15% peak to peak, try 35% minimum.


nem

Well that's me convinced.

dgl1001

kabayiri wrote: »

What have 'we' learnt from this recession?...

Hmm, trick question , right ?

There is no 'we'.

The minority rich and political elite led us into the financial chaos which fed into the recession. It was in their interest to persuade largely ignorant masses to buy into the property / credit dream.

And funnily enough, the bailing out of the banks allowed these people to deleverage some serious postions without losing their shirts.

So what did they learn? Nothing. Or rather that the phrase "privatise the profits, socialise the losses" really does hold true.

These very people are hoping for a return to the credit-fueled society, because that is where their future wealth lies.

And the masses? The masses will follow the herd mentality, just as they are told to do.

I must say that you do come across as a victim. Is everyone buys a house ignorant, or are they just trying to provide for themselves and families?

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

geoffky wrote: »

1 million homes for sale in the uk and 788210 empty homes in the uk....sorry no shortage of homes.

http://www.emptyhomes.com/

Oh dear Geoffrey, you really should do more research....

The head of the empty homes agency already admitted that over 50% of those properties are only empty for 6 months or less, for normal reasons like probate, on the market, repairs, renovation, etc.

Of the rest, most are derelict or in places where there is a surplus of houses, like all those empty Manchester new build flats, or the old mining towns oop north....

But this does no good for that young couple wanting a house in London, does it Geoffrey?

Perhaps they should all move to Yorkshire instead?

There are no shortage of empty houses..... So long as you want to move into properties like this one..... From the empty homes website.

kabayiri

dgl1001 wrote: »

I must say that you do come across as a victim. Is everyone buys a house ignorant, or are they just trying to provide for themselves and families?

Yes, I admit I do sound like that.

Truth is, I'm a lucky one.

I don't enter into these house price discussions...I'm lucky to have bought when price was still (just) reasonable, and have no mortgage debt.

Our household income is also what people would probably describe as very good, higher than average.

But it isnt about me. I have relatives who are just about surviving, until their house is repossessed. Their situation is precarious. They are probably not alone.

I just dont like leaving our offspring (all our) to pay for our debt.

People aren't ignorant. It's very easy though to be seduced by the soundbites about the economy recovering. If things do turn south it will be the normal people who will take the hit, not the elite.

mewbie_2

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Interesting that you should post a picture like that. Given that the internet and communication improvements allow some people to locate anywhere in the country. Why would such properties be allowed to fall into disrepair and be empty? Especially if the shortage of housing is so terrible, and millions of new homes are needed, and we're not building any more land, etc. etc.

Looks like housing isn't quite so precious after all.

IveSeenTheLight

mewbie wrote: »

Interesting that you should post a picture like that. Given that the internet and communication improvements allow some people to locate anywhere in the country. Why would such properties be allowed to fall into disrepair and be empty? Especially if the shortage of housing is so terrible, and millions of new homes are needed, and we're not building any more land, etc. etc.

Looks like housing isn't quite so precious after all.

I originally posted the picture taking it from the website geoffky linked in post 77

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=24986983&postcount=77

He brought up there were a million properties for sale and 788,000 empty properties.