Wannabe house buyers seeing rents rise

carolt

PasturesNew wrote: »

The trouble, as I see it, is that at the bottom end of the market (yep, that's where I'd be renting), you can't choose a cheaper place.

If rents rise and people can't afford them, we'll all just go back to doing what we used to do: not moving out from home, moving back in with the parents from time to time, dossing on mates' sofas, living in vans. If the money's not there, we can't pay it. If you work for your money, you'll choose not to pay higher rents, you'll find some other way to live.

Renting will soon become the luxury of the rich or the jobless.

How sad - having got back from holiday, I am struck forcibly with how lousy our country is in many respects.

Lots of things I like about England usually, but a couple of weeks in Spain doesn't half remind you of some of the things they do better elsewhere.

Not just the weather.

DervProf

Malcolm. wrote: »

I agree. I think this is also what Hamish has been saying, the effect of a population increase without an accompanying house building programme.

"Good news for homeowners".

carolt

DervProf wrote: »

"Good news for homeowners".

Remind me again why rising rents is good news for homeowners.

Utterly indifferent news I would have thought.

Good news for landlords, bad news for tenants, obviously - but why should the average homeowner who is neither care one way or the other?

Assuing they have normal levels of empathy (and given most homeowners have rented at some point) I'd expect them to feel at best neutral, at worst a little bit down, really.

Malcolm.

carolt wrote: »

Remind me again why rising rents is good news for homeowners.

Because they're happy they're not renting.

carolt

Well, I'm happy i'm not ill or starving, but it doesn't make me happy to see others so - even though i've had past experience of both illness and hunger.

Surely you have to be weird to enjoy the misery of others, when it benefits you not one little bit? :question:

Malcolm.

carolt wrote: »

Well, I'm happy i'm not ill or starving, but it doesn't make me happy to see others so - even though i've had past experience of both illness and hunger.

Surely you have to be weird to enjoy the misery of others, when it benefits you not one little bit? :question:

You misunderstand. It's not taking pleasure in others misfortune. It's taking pleasure in having made the correct investment decision.

I think it's a falsity to liken renting to ill and starving people. :question:

carolt

Not really, I was highlighting that it was odd to enjoy the fact that others have to pay more for essential needs like food and shelter and healthcare. All are essential. I wouldn't enjoy seeing others go without food, because they couldn't afford it, any more than I would expect a normal person to enjoy seeing others go without a roof over their head, because they couldn't afford that.

Conceivably in that situation one might feel relief, but not 'happiness'.

Malcolm.

In an ideal world I think everything, food, healthcare, houses, swimming pools, cars, boats, planes should be affordable to everyone. This would result from an abundance of supply and resource.

I'm not a house price or rent increase cheerleader, if that's what you're implying.

Barnetbear

Went to see a very well presented, spotless flat today, shown around by a very pleasant young chap who is a rising star in his profession & commutes to London. His landlord has made the place look great, the rent ask is bang on what you'd expect to pay and it even has a garage. Yet there have not been many viewers and probably few or no offers. Won't be an offer from me either as it is a bit too small but I can assure you that's just me being very picky - a younger person would have no problem with it - it's just that me being a bit older with an accumulation of sentimental bits and pieces needs somewhere a bit bigger and psychologically I don't like to trade too obviously down even if I am money-saving by doing so (yes I know, I am being unrealistic but often I still manage to negotiate a better place for less!).

This area and my own area are supposed to be sh*t-hot these days for City commuters - yet erm not only are rents not sustainably rising but there's not even takers at the realistic prices some are asking. So my spot near the beach has no takers. His spot near the main road into London and with an easy journey to the station has no takers.

Yeah, achieved rents are rising, sure they are. Where? Belgravia? Malibu? Bermuda?

Oh sorry it's August and the sun/rain/wind means people are on holiday/indoors playing PS3/not viewing due to SAD/yachting/surfing/too wet to view/too hot to view/sunburnt/soaked to the skin/windswept hair too messy to show their face at an agent's - come on VI spindoctors help me out here, is there anything more it could possibly be than the irresponsible spending "boom" chickens coming home to roost, guys?

(And this slump is with b****r all on their books to let!)

neverdespairgirl

If England were as England seems
And not the England of our dreams
But only putty, brass and paint
'Ow quick we'd drop her - but she ain't

Kipling