Where can you afford to live in the UK?

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Or are we assuming everyone should hand over shed loads of cash to buy somewhere in an undesirable nieghbourhood? If they choose not to, should we feel angry that they avoid this choice?

Really?

It makes you "angry" that lower income people have to choose to buy in the cheaper areas?

Who do you think should be buying in those areas?

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Really?

It makes you "angry" that lower income people have to choose to buy in the cheaper areas?

Who do you think should be buying in those areas?

Where did I say it makes me angry? I didn't. 3rd time this morning I've had to correct you after you have made yet something else up to have a go at!

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Where did I say it makes me angry? I didn't. 3rd time this morning I've had to correct you after you have made yet something else up to have a go at!

Nice side-step.

Now, where do you think the lower income people should be buying, if not in the cheaper areas?

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Nice side-step.

Now, where do you think the lower income people should be buying, if not in the cheaper areas?

Your problem is the use of "should be buying". there is no "should" about it.

Some people are clearly buying in these areas, but the prices are lower than average as many don't want to buy in those areas.

Everyone has the option to buy or not. As stated, I would rather pay mor eon rent than buy in those places. I think most people would.

If your point is that I can't use a mid point house, when using above average wages, then fine....but the point itself brings issues.

How can one "side step" your fabrications by the way? Thats an interesting viewpoint.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Your problem is the use of "should be buying". there is no "should" about it.

You seem to think that people on lower incomes should be able to buy in not only the cheaper areas, but also in the mid-price areas.

Is that right?

Some people are clearly buying in these areas, but the prices are lower than average as many don't want to buy in those areas.

So the market is allocating goods through price according to supply and demand.

If the people that can currently only afford to buy in the cheap areas could suddenly also afford to buy in the mid-price areas, what do you think would happen?

Do you think prices would rise until sufficient numbers were prices out that supply and demand equalised?

Or would we find some other way of allocating them?

Waiting lists or a lottery perhaps?

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

You seem to think that people on lower incomes should be able to buy in not only the cheaper areas, but also in the mid-price areas.

Is that right?

Well, no.

I wouldn't assume anyone on a lower income could afford £800 a month JUST to pay the mortgage. You have thrown "low income" in almost out of nowhere.

That sort of monthly payment, allowing a grand for everything else would require, before tax, a wage at just about average income.

These are not low income people.

lostinrates

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Why would it make you short tempered out of curisoty?
because its asinine. Afford and want are often very different, that's part of the reason we don't all work part time, because among society people aspire and want to afford more and some have the option to do that and others do not (though choice, or hard luck or circumstance or ability)

Making it a straight forward 'off, we cannot all live int he house we want to isn't very nice' belittles the actual pretty sorry state of both housing and sense of entitlement (two often opposing issues in uk)



If you enter the low end of the market as the option, it will give you places, as Hamish found, in Plymouth.

I know where those places are, and personally would never buy a house there. I'm sure were all the same, and none of us would knowingly aspire to buy one of these places.

I'd rather spend more each month renting (by quite some way) than I would live in some of the much cheaper areas. They are cheaper for a reason.

Am I the only one? Would everyone else knowingly choose to buy for buying sake in one of these areas? Obviously if you are raised in such places your outlook may be different.

so you make a choice, based on WHAT YOU WANT to AFFORD more. Work for promotion, cut spending, maybe look at a move to an area where housing cost to living to wage ration is different. It might not be want you want where you want it , but it might be affordable.

Or are we assuming everyone should hand over shed loads of cash to buy somewhere in an undesirable nieghbourhood? If they choose not to, should we feel angry that they avoid this choice?

This is the sort of stuff that many can afford in Devon, and it's the sort of stuff that calculator will look at.....



I may be a prude, but I wouldn't want to live there, not just on looks, but the crime figures are appuling, let alone spend my working life paying for it. (they are still around 100k).

if we just assume that places are affordable, then fine. But I do feel what you want comes into playm and mid range doesn't seem too outrageous?

100k doesn't sound too bad for Devon, does it? If staying in Devon is more important than living in a different sort of house.

I have plenty of friends who lived in the exact replica of those houses is smart addresses in the south east who have gone to smart school and have smart jobs. So yes, I think you are perhaps being prudish, or at least self limiting.

Would I choose it myself on our income? No. I wouldn't. Would I on a lower income? Yes, if it were near employment.

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Well, no.

I wouldn't assume anyone on a lower income could afford £800 a month JUST to pay the mortgage.

That sort of monthly payment, allowing a grand for everything else would require, before tax, a wage at just about average income.

These are not low income people.

What about 600 then?

Graham_Devon

lostinrates wrote: »

100k doesn't sound too bad for Devon, does it? If staying in Devon is more important than living in a different sort of house.

I have plenty of friends who lived in the exact replica of those houses is smart addresses in the south east who have gone to smart school and have smart jobs. So yes, I think you are perhaps being prudish, or at least self limiting.

Would I choose it myself on our income? No. I wouldn't. Would I on a lower income? Yes, if it were near employment.

Fair enough. If you are calling me a prude for not wanting to BUY a house and bring up my family in an area with the highest crime in Devon, what can I say? Nothing much, apart from accept your thoughts.

I don't think I'm the odd one out here though.

Graham_Devon

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

What about 600 then?

24k.

Would you call that low income? It's still above the average for the areas you have highlighted. Significantly so.

UKCarper gave us a brilliant source for local average wages. I'm pretty sure, guessing, it would come out at around 18-20k Plymouth