Cost of Living - How are you handling it?

Moggy wrote:
Oblomov Boblomov wrote:Can we execute the NIMBYs as well as the landlords? Every time there's anything about building houses near my area, local groups get together to oppose the plans, and then everyone seems to treat it as a great success when they stop the houses from being built.

While they sit around tutting that their kids/grandkids have to move out of the area because it's too expensive for them?

It's good for them to get out and see the wider world (inner city squat)

They need to build more houses for the shareholders to snap up :wub:

Knoyleo wrote:
Moggy wrote:
Oblomov Boblomov wrote:Can we execute the NIMBYs as well as the landlords? Every time there's anything about building houses near my area, local groups get together to oppose the plans, and then everyone seems to treat it as a great success when they stop the houses from being built.

While they sit around tutting that their kids/grandkids have to move out of the area because it's too expensive for them?

It's good for them to get out and see the wider world (inner city squat)

Inner city squat sounds like a yoga move that would be promoted by those lefty lentil eating just stop oil BLM supporting bastards who want to ride bikes while not respecting our flag.

Herdanos wrote:I did read both articles (though they linked via some archive website rather than the source, so much of the page was covered by ads for Wickes) as well as briefly looking up the authors.

If we build loads of homes, loads of them will be bought by landlords.

Our system is far too skewed towards encouraging landlordism ahead of home occupier ownership.

Property companies are always going to favour building larger, more expensive homes as the returns are greater and it's easier to make more profit.

Local authorities are too crippled with care costs to even consider building social housing. Housing associations struggle to compete.

We desperately need to disincentivise landlordism alongside building homes. Otherwise all we'll end up doing is creating more landlords.

The Archive links get around the paywall that both sites have. The adverts are annoying but the 'x' button to close them is available (but tricky to spot).

Supply and demand applies to the housing market.

If we build 4 million homes, that will put huge downwards pressure on house prices and private market rents, this holds true whether it's owner occupiers buying them or landlords.

I don't think our system is skewed towards BTL vs owner occupier. Often both groups have overlapping mutual interests (restricting the supply / ease of building more homes) that go against the interests of those in the rental market.

How Britain’s Tories came to resemble the trade unions:

Successive governments have caved to Tory backbenchers who have fought like picketing miners to restrict building.

Britain’s housing shortage is the Conservative equivalent of the “closed shop”, which shielded unionised workers from pay competition.

Insiders, who own homes, benefit from rising asset prices; outsiders pay the price.

Herdanos wrote:Maybe we should, I dunno, build more homes and end landlordism.

I love Herdanos, I want him to be my Yorkshire landlord.

A one bed flat has just come up for rent down my road, so I thought I'd take a look at how much it costs per month: £1,500. £18,000 a year. Unfurnished. :fp:

Got to be on at least 50-60 grand a year in London these days to get out of the quagmire of perpetual rent, surely. Over £20,000 is being wiped out of your salary every year on just renting and travel costs before you've even done anything else.

KK wrote:A one bed flat has just come up for rent down my road, so I thought I'd take a look at how much it costs per month: £1,500. £18,000 a year. Unfurnished. . Got to be on at least 50-60 grand a year in London these days to get out of the quagmire of perpetual rent, surely...

Yeah, that seems to be the going rate in my neck of the woods, too. I genuinely don't know how people can afford it. The flats are very basic - nothing flash - and not exactly in a spectacular area.

Just stop watching Netflix!

Victor Mildew wrote:Just stop watching Netflix!

I recently signed up to Netflix :shifty:

.

Strawbin' decadent. If only I stopped that I'd be able to buy a house!

jawa_ wrote:
Victor Mildew wrote:Just stop watching Netflix!

I recently signed up to Netflix .

Strawbin' decadent. If only I stopped that I'd be able to buy a house!

A saw a video the other day where they were asking older people what they thought of the housing crisis for young people.

One lady had a long moan about how much young people spend on coffee and that they need to learn how to save up.

It cut back to the same lady near the end and they asked her how much she put down as a deposit on her first home.

She replied with "Oh, I didn't buy my house, I inherited it when my mother passed away" :lol:

Banks here have started lowering interest rates ahead of any announcement from the European Central Bank.... Do they know?

KK wrote:A one bed flat has just come up for rent down my road, so I thought I'd take a look at how much it costs per month: £1,500. £18,000 a year. Unfurnished.

Got to be on at least 50-60 grand a year in London these days to get out of the quagmire of perpetual rent, surely. Over £20,000 is being wiped out of your salary every year on just renting and travel costs before you've even done anything else.

Yeah place im looking to rent will be £1200 a month unfurnished. The saving grace is it'll be bills included. Just about affordable at 50% my wage.

strawberry floating hell, surge pricing at Alton Towers, Legoland, etc. That's nice for people who need to carefully budget for a day out.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68659045

Surge pricing is becoming the new thing. For industries that can't force subscriptions on us.

Worst thing is, prices go up when it's busiest....ie when you get a worse experience. Nice to pay for that privilege.

rinks wrote:strawberry floating hell, surge pricing at Alton Towers, Legoland, etc. That's nice for people who need to carefully budget for a day out.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68659045

Greedy banana splits.

Tomous wrote:Worst thing is, prices go up when it's busiest....ie when you get a worse experience. Nice to pay for that privilege.

Exactly!

And they're not content with good weather boosting visitor numbers. Now they want to price gouge too. Hope it rains on them for ever.

I read a few weeks ago some fast food joints in America are looking at or have introduced surge pricing. Hopefully it weans more and more people off junk food and they just stop going.

This is absurd. Zero justification for it. These bastards are clearly now just grabbing as much as they can while it's still legal, because they know their collective greed is going to result in the law being changed.

When Aisling opened this year's annual service charge bill for the one-bedroom flat she owns with her partner, she immediately assumed it "must be a mistake".
They bought the flat in Kings Cross, north London, last year through a shared ownership scheme run by Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association (ISHA).
From Monday, her 2024 bill will rise by 274% from £4,200 to almost £16,000 for communal maintenance and services, on top of mortgage and rent.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c884m42lvk8o

Just like that, they've got to find an extra grand a month, for which they get nothing. And they can't sell, because who would willingly take on such a charge?

Even if it's otherwise legal, it's a clear case of exploitation.

rinks wrote:Just like that, they've got to find an extra grand a month, for which they get nothing. And they can't sell, because who would willingly take on such a charge?

Even if some buyer was willing to buy it, they'd have to be a cash buyer too. No mortgage lender will accept such an onerous service charge as suitable security.

And she's in shared ownership too, the worst parts of renting and ownership combined into a facade of "affordable housing". Charged full whack for service charge without having 100% ownership.

I really hope Labour's planning reforms extend into massive reform of the Leasehold system, if even a shared ownership housing association (not for profit) is increasing costs so dramatically, it's not fit for purpose and totally unsustainable.

Cost of Living - How are you handling it?

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