Is it really that hard?

Samsonite1

ukcarper wrote: »

I know it winds me up when I look at my kids with their new BMWs and 4 bed houses. They must be doing something wrong as children of a boomer.

You must have been a bad influence

ukcarper

Quizzical_Squirrel wrote: »

I'm actually married to a banker but we're not boomers.

We are looking for a house and almost everything we see is the second or even third home of boomers.

We are being shown their house for when they needed to be near the city rather than on the coast... but not actually in the city it because of course now they have an apartment there in some swanky place.

This is a hobby sort of house. How quaint, how quaint. Now it's rather superfluous to requirements so they're selling up. It's all like something out of a museum or home magazine. Perfect because no-one actually lives there. Not a toothbrush in sight.

It's a whole other life experience these people have. Same money as us, they were just born ten years earlier.

Then I look at the millennials and they're even more !!!!ed up that we are.
But I can no more truly understand their feelings than the boomers can understand ours.

How many boomers do you think have 2 or 3 houses people born 10 years after the boomers had the opportunity to buy property when it was the cheapest it's been in relation to earning since the 40s . I can understand how hard it is for people in their 20s and early 30s but 40 year olds no.

dktreesea

Samsonite1 wrote: »

Having moved around and worked in many parts of the South East, I can say that the pay is world of difference higher in London than even the most salubrious parts of SE. That is probably a big draw certainly. I moved from West Sussex, through parts of Kent to Zone 6 Greater London. I think for me this is the sweet spot - 15 minutes from central London on the train but house prices relatively affordable with space, big gardens, drives, etc.

I actually looked all over central London and could not find a better commute (especially as I have to work in different parts of London at times). You cut down your options if you go too far in - mainline trains can get you into many main stations in London and are often quicker than tubes and much nicer. I also much prefer to have the countryside on my doorstep while having London near enough should I want to go there.

Of course, house prices are growing rapidly in these areas now and the strangest thing I have noticed is that rent is incredibly high compared to house prices.

I noticed that about rents in London when I first came home just over a decade ago. £300 (back then) a week for a one bedroom flat. Nothing wrong with the flat, buy hey, £300 a week? Even now, up here in Edinburgh, that's enough to rent a 4 bedroom house or apartment a couple of miles from the city.


We did look around at houses to buy (near where I grew up, zone 5), but in the end I was put off by all the hassles of living in or near London. No possibility of sea views , air so polluted hair washed out black at the end of the day, a complete hassle to get anywhere that involved crossing London, by car or on public transport, and the feeling of living in a foreigners city. My family now live in places like Hampshire, the Cotswolds, Brighton (an hour from London, an expensive hour, on a train that is never on time), even those who work in London.


If we had stayed down south, we would have lived in Brighton. I did at one point (looking at a flat in Herne Hill and a house in Acton, both zone 2/3, which both looked like a great places to live) realise that me and the sea were never going to get a divorce, not even for work.

Samsonite1

dktreesea wrote: »

I noticed that about rents in London when I first came home just over a decade ago. £300 (back then) a week for a one bedroom flat. Nothing wrong with the flat, buy hey, £300 a week? Even now, up here in Edinburgh, that's enough to rent a 4 bedroom house or apartment a couple of miles from the city.


We did look around at houses to buy (near where I grew up, zone 5), but in the end I was put off by all the hassles of living in or near London. No possibility of sea views , air so polluted hair washed out black at the end of the day, a complete hassle to get anywhere that involved crossing London, by car or on public transport, and the feeling of living in a foreigners city. My family now live in places like Hampshire, the Cotswolds, Brighton (an hour from London, an expensive hour, on a train that is never on time), even those who work in London.


If we had stayed down south, we would have lived in Brighton. I did at one point (looking at a flat in Herne Hill and a house in Acton, both zone 2/3, which both looked like a great places to live) realise that me and the sea were never going to get a divorce, not even for work.

I am happy to keep sea views to the odd occasions - much prefer countryside, so that is fortunate and provides a lot more choice! That's why I cannot see myself moving any time soon - essentially it is nothing like London here - very green, little pollution, but only 15 - 25 mins from central London (depending on the train you get). In terms of getting across London, it is easy enough to get to North, East, South or West on the train (which I used to have to do often).

Brighton is too far for me - I used to live down there, but the commute was more stressful than the job. It was actually a 2+ hour commute with tubes and walking and was not worth the time or the money to waste 4-5 hours (if there were no delays) of my day...