Plans to free up 25 million unused bedrooms

IveSeenTheLight

chewmylegoff wrote: »

well yeah, but regardless of whether house prices are rising generally or not in your area, if you can't sell your house at a certain price, increasing the price doesn't seem to me to be a particularly clever tactic, and it obviously isn't working!

I would agree. Increasing a property price of something not selling does not appear to be a good tactic, hence why it wasn't one of my options.

I have recently had an offer accepted.
Initially, I went in with a really low cheeky but quick offer as the property was empty, had been rented out for years (they served notice on the tenants to sell) and had not really done nothing to market it really well.
They hadn't even returned to the property as I understand since evicting the tenants

When the offer was turned down, I played the waiting game for 4 weeks and then went in with a slightly increased offer and listed all the faults that the property needed rectified, noting that refusal would mean we would remove our noted interest.

The next day, the owners were round the property checking it out and accepted our offer significantly below the valutaion.

It certainly is a buyers market at the moment and I believe as a buyer, you have to articulate your offer well to justify your position

Blacklight

Why was this was even being discussed on R4 this morning is beyond me. What a ridiculous notion to assume that 18 million bedrooms aren't being used because there are two over 60's living in a house with 3+ bedrooms.

That presumably includes the Queen... and all her property.

pinkteapot

So what the government is really saying is that all those retired baby boomers should sell their houses and become cash buyers for exactly the types of property that first time buyers try and get.

That'll help.

vivatifosi

Blacklight wrote: »

That presumably includes the Queen... and all her property.

Now that could convert to some fantastic pied a terres for when one fancies shopping in Knightsbridge. I wouldn't mind one of those myself. Especially if I could keep one of those posh doormen in red:D.

ukcarper

shortchanged wrote: »

Most certainly both.

Of couse why should they sell if they don't have to. But also don't whinge when your house has been on the market for 6 months+ and has had very few or no viewings. Or buyers are putting in low offers.

If the people we are talking about are people who are living in larger houses than they need and don’t want to move why would their house be on the market.

geneer

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

You seem to be inferring a decade of nominal stagnation and then what?
Would that mean that society is drawing in a big deep breath to then start inflating the next bubble as as happened historically.

I've said before nominal stagnation is the best solution for all nterested parties and when property increases agains, ideally it should follow inflation.

Likelyhood of that happening though is slim to none.

Your position infers that massive real terms falls in the value of an asset (or multiple assets) are a good thing for those that own the asset.

I suspect this is not honest. I cannot see you being thrilled at someone picking up your "home is my pension" for the price of a tin of beans and a pint of milk.

You also ignore the negative effects of inflation.
I suspect you're not immune to the same.

chucknorris

crazyguy wrote: »

Solution,

I thanked you for your signature, I'll use that sometime (but obviously not to my students)

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

FTBFun wrote: »

My parents upsized last year from a 3 bed detached on a housing estate in a small city to a 4 bed detached out in the country with lots of land. They actually sold their old house to a family with children.

I don't think the downsizing argument works particularly well here.

When we upsized we also sold our house to a family with children who admitted they were totally stretched buying our old house.
These families just could'nt afford to buy bigger so there would be an awful lot of larger houses that would'nt be selling should old folk decide to downgrade..

nearlyrich

I have no plans to move I love my house it's a great location, I can walk to a couple of nice pubs and I have lovely views from every window why should I give it up and move back to a small house ? Yes it's increased in value but when we first bought it we made sacrifices to afford it. I think if some of the people who moan they can't afford a house did the things that young people did 30 years ago (stayed in every night, no frivolous spending, no meals out, nights at the pub, no holidays, old banger cars etc etc) they might be better off than they think. Most people I know who moan about the cost of houses are spending £50 a month on Sky and £40 plus each on mobile phones you can't have everything unless you have unlimited income.

red40

IveSeenTheLight wrote: »

I would also wonder how the HMO legilation complies with the wish to free up spare rooms.

I went to a HB presentation yesterday with a number of other landlords who where being offered just over £60 a room for a house share, many seemed very interested considering many only have 3 bed semi's. That would give them £180, compaired to the £130 odd they would be getting for a single household. Not once was it mentioned that they could very well be creating small HMO's.

But you are correct ISTL 3 unrelated persons would bring the properties into the realms of HMO's.