The crushing housing burden on the young. Boomers, investors and landlords profit

ruggedtoast

CLAPTON wrote: »

so, basically like the 1% you only give away anything if forced to do so?

I'm wondering what on earth any of this has to do with the generational exploitation of the young's need for housing.

Surely it's not just a load of old flannel designed to deflect from the fact just like the other 1500 times this debate has sprung up, you don't really have a rebuttal.

CLAPTON

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I'm wondering what on earth any of this has to do with the generational exploitation of the young's need for housing.

Surely it's not just a load of old flannel designed to deflect from the fact just like the other 1500 times this debate has sprung up, you don't really have a rebuttal.

There is no generational exploitation.

It's true that there is a very sad lack of active lobbying for more house building but traditionally such lobbying is the role of youth.


It may be that you have a problem with your parents and grandparents but they aren't relevant to the discussion here.

Cornucopia

the_flying_pig wrote: »

the Accenture [i.e. v high proportion of Oxbridge & whatnot - an elite 'IT' employeer by any standard] graduate intake gets £31.5k

I went on to be involved in Graduate recruitment for a similar large company. Before I left (2 years ago), they were paying £28k to their graduate intake.

so blithely painting £30k as a norm that huge swathes of grads, enough to fill street after street of housing, would get is, well, I mean it's not right.

I don't believe I said that. However, whatever way you want to try to slant it, £30k+ is a realistic salary for most people working in professional roles in Central London.

Graham_Devon

jamesd wrote: »

I'm not greatly keen on wording like "these people". GwylimT is just people like everyone else here.

Maybe GwylimT wouldn't like the choices available but pointing out options and the choices can be useful in case people think it's actually impossible just because they haven't looked. Then it becomes a matter of personal choice rather than lack of ability.

I doubt a one bed flat is all that suitable for a couple, one who uses a wheelchair, though?

The overarching point here being that we are all different and placing people in boxes never really works.

Be easier all round for the person to live a life on benefits I'd have thought, and they'd get more than a 1 bed flat to boot, so they should be commended for trying, not lambasted for wanting too much.

Cornucopia

ruggedtoast wrote: »

I also contribute more than I cost, not having access to the fancy pensions and other benefits that the boomers enjoy that wont exist when I am older.

Your generation actually has my sympathy on this. I don't think it's remotely fair for you individually or collectively to be burdened by pension guarantees now, which you are unlikely to benefit from yourselves.

I also prefer a model where fewer people go to higher education, but they have a proper state subsidy to do so. I believe that the present policy is one cause for the decline in social mobility.

Like most younger people I am willing to put up with all of this, its just most of us think that being shafted with the price of housing as well is a final straw too far.

I still don't see the house price issue. And still no one has been willing/able to specify a property type and location and state their ideal price level for it.

Property has always been expensive. Especially for FTBs. Back in 1988 I didn't want to buy a studio flat. I had a choice: a small place in a nice area, or a larger place in a less nice area. People have always had that kind of compromise to make when buying property - certainly around the London area.

GwylimT

jamesd wrote: »

Lets start with the property deposit target first. A search on Rightmove finds a one bedroom flat 50% share for sale for £20,000 in a search for Leeds. Say you want to do that with a 10% deposit, the target for savings is £2,000. It won't take long to accumulate that for a person who has say a Sky or mobile phone contract they can cancel. Eliminating shared ownership places, the cheapest are some one bedroom flats for around £27,000. Like this £27,500 one within 3 miles of LS1. Within one mile the starting prices are in the £40-55,00 range.

Maybe you want better places or different areas within Leeds but it seems eminently possible to find quite inexpensive places in the area.

Neither are wheelchair friendly.

wotsthat

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Be easier all round for the person to live a life on benefits I'd have thought, and they'd get more than a 1 bed flat to boot, so they should be commended for trying, not lambasted for wanting too much.

Have you considered motivational speaking?

jamesd

GwylimT wrote: »

Neither are wheelchair friendly.

The first has a lift and appears to have a reasonable entrance. Probably needs some adjustments to work surfaces and internal fixtures, though. But if you want more wheelchair-friendly options, have a look around. From what I saw there there are going to be some quite wheelchair-friendly places at moderate cost. Best to assume that you'll need to have something in your purchase budget to adapt most properties, though.

For those without the constraint it doesn't look to be hard to find a place on the income level you gave.

OffGridLiving

GwylimT wrote: »

Neither are wheelchair friendly.

That's that then. Well, at least you tried.

jamesd

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I doubt a one bed flat is all that suitable for a couple, one who uses a wheelchair, though?

One bedroom is the social housing limit for a couple without reduction in benefit payments, the bedroom tax. A couple living together as spouses are expected to share a bedroom.

If someone wants to demand more than they can afford and more than social housing would provide if it was available, that's a matter of choice. Though a person with wheelchair or other needs is probably going to have to include some allowance for work like adjustable height worktops within their purchase budget and essential needs for such work aren't optional, of course.