Separate Moan Thread About The Election

I'm another that thinks the housing problem is a major factor in cost of living problems. Although I wasn't against the Housing Act 1980 in principle I was very much against the stupid rule brought in that councils could not spend more than a certain small percentage of the sale to build new houses.

Councils should have been able to build houses much cheaper than developers as they didn't need the profit margin. Therefore, in theory, selling houses to long term tenants at a reasonable discount (not a silly one) would have produced funds to build more houses also at a reasonable cost.

Councils could then rent those out and keep the rental cost down. This, in turn, would would have kept house prices down instead of the ridiculous situation we have now.

I never have liked pies so pie in the sky obviously didn't work.

I had suggested that, as a solution, a decade before Mrs Thatch brought in her silly rules for councils.

As I foresaw the problems all I could do was buy a property (three bed bungalow) and go with the flow. We now have a property that is worth ridiculously more than it should and I can't see the younger generation being able to dig themselves out of the hole.

do I want to move into a quality one or two bedroom home? Not at the moment but may have to at some time. Some of my friends have already had to downsize.

Will it solve the housing problem? Not in the slightest!

The only solution I can see is the building of inexpensive houses, at a rate that is virtually impossible, that would reduce housing costs by a considerable amount. I wouldn't mind (too much) the value of my property going down if I can get a commensurately valued smaller property (at the time I wish to downsize).

Very many years ago I wanted to make a small investment and had to fill in a form stating my earnings, savings and value of my house. For the value of my house I put in zero. I was then asked why had I put zero and I said that it is worth nothing whilst I live in it and if I sell it I then need that money to buy another house - so it is still worth nothing from an investment point of view. Needless to say, I wasn't allowed to end up with that investment.

If I could think of a way that house prices could be dramatically reduced I might stand for Parliament!

The dramatic drop in house prices in the late 80's should have then been locked in. At that time one of my managers was moaning that he had gone into negative equity but I pointed out to him that as long as he didn't need to sell the house it doesn't really affect him. He could afford to pay the mortgage before the crash, he is still able to pay the mortgage and he is still living in the house.

 

Not me - as I'm on duty

 

I think we all know that Starmer is going to get in, and that is also fine with me - don't get me wrong, I don't like the guy and am not happy with what the party has evolved into (I was a lifelong, union fee paying, Labour voter); like all parties, they have policies I agree with, but they also have many I don't - - moreover, I do not trust them as far as I could throw them, as bitter experience tells me that it is not what they are saying we need to worry about... it is the bits they are not saying.

However, all that said, I cannot bring myself to vote for them as they are basically more of the same - more of the same rats fighting in a sack... millionaires playing at debating school antics using our money, and often using our money against us rather than for us. I am sick of it.

 

A lot of holiday parks have a planning restriction on them that the chalets cannot be occupied for more than ten months of the year.

 

Some of these sites are actually quite nice, and the properties on them aren't overly small (some I have seen are similar in size to two static caravans side by side, in terms of size) - and in fairness, these sort of pre-fab buildings are even pretty good in terms of insulation etc. The real issue is the site fees - if you own a bungalow on a normal housing estate, that is it, you own it... whereas these sites can have fees that run into the thousands each year - impossible for any pensioners that are solely on the state pension.