Britain is living through the best time ever

missyrichards

Generali wrote: »

Without bothering with Google I would bet my bottom dollar that the UK is in the top decile (i.e. top 25 countries in the world) in terms of:

- GDP per head
- Life expectancy at birth
- Maternal life expectancy
- Infant extantcy (proportion of babies born alive that live beyond the age of 5)
- Size of industrial sector
- Size of tertiary sector
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Proportion of under 30s with degrees
- Patents
- Nobel prizes per capita (or perhaps even absolutely)

If you can get over the crappy weather and the propensity of the populace to moan and moan and moan then the UK is an okay place to live. As long as you don't live in one of those Northern Hell Holes that drag the place down.

We like moaning, it's our most popular national pastime.:D

I do like the UK in a lot of ways but I would seriously think about moving to the US if my circumstances were different. Somewhere like Portland where all the hipsters are.:p

Thrugelmir

Generali wrote: »

As long as you don't live in one of those Northern Hell Holes that drag the place down.

You must have lived a sheltered existance in the South.

chucknorris

Generali wrote: »

If you can get over the crappy weather and the propensity of the populace to moan and moan and moan then the UK is an okay place to live. As long as you don't live in one of those Northern Hell Holes that drag the place down.

I was born on Tyneside, it is really nice up there, and during the summer the nearby beaches are really lovely, as long as you don't take your gloves or shoes off, most of the time you can avoid getting frost bite.

CLAPTON

JencParker wrote: »

By overseas investors or RTB landlords and the few that are earning enough.

not really sure how many overseas investors there are although they are clearly significant at the very high end in London,
but mainly the problem is the increase in demand isn't being matched by the increase in supply

Sapphire

CLAPTON wrote: »

not really sure how many overseas investors there are although they are clearly significant at the very high end in London,
but mainly the problem is the increase in demand isn't being matched by the increase in supply

Well, in London there wouldn't be a problem if much of what is being built was built for the indigenous population to live in, rather than for wealthy buyers from abroad who couldn't give a stuff about the indigenes – they treat property as an investment to hold on to and not even to live in. This is a growing problem – as is overpopulation.

CLAPTON

Sapphire wrote: »

Well, in London there wouldn't be a problem if so much of what is being built was built for the indigenous population to live in, rather than for wealthy buyers from abroad who couldn't give a stuff about the indigenes – rather than property being treated as an investment to hold on to and not even to live in. This is a growing problem – as is overpopulation.

how many properties fall into that category?

the 'indigenous' population is small as most people living in london weren't born there

Thrugelmir

CLAPTON wrote: »

not really sure how many overseas investors there are although they are clearly significant at the very high end in London,
but mainly the problem is the increase in demand isn't being matched by the increase in supply

How many properties are now second homes? Was looking at BNB last night. Simply 1000's. Which most likely reflects July's budget changes on taxation of BTL.

CLAPTON

Thrugelmir wrote: »

How many properties are now second homes? Was looking at BNB last night. Simply 1000's. Which most likely reflects July's budget changes on taxation of BTL.

yes indeed, we need to build more

Sapphire

CLAPTON wrote: »

how many properties fall into that category?

the 'indigenous' population is small as most people living in london weren't born there

I don't know what the figures are, but you only have to go past any of the ugly tall buildings with 'luxury apartments' that have increasingly sprung up in some parts of inner London and elsewhere in the city (as I frequently do) to see that they are largely unoccupied.

I don't know about 'most people living in London' not being born there. I only know that I was, and so were all the people I know through work and studies at various times in my life. A sizeable proportion was probably born in London and wants/needs to continue to live there (and should not be pushed out by speculators). London should not be treated as some sort of giant casino when it comes to properties. It's not good for the indigenous population, or for the look of the city either. In my opinion.

Generali

ukcarper wrote: »

The local Tory council is making a good job of turning my local once reasonable if not good town into a dump. This in in an area where it is surrounded by very nice towns. Still it's keeping prices down a little and although it's my nearest town I'm fortunate enough to be in the borough of one of the nice towns.

Interesting. I've found a very strong correlation between the likelihood of a place being a Hell Hole and it having a Labour council. Still correlation isn't causation.