House Prices

[Danny]

1 hour ago, Smiley Culture said:

I think people do seem to forget that they wouldn't earn what they do in or around London and they have to be prepared for that drop alongside the paying of a mortgage and bills somewhere else in the country and that was the point I was trying to make. It's something I see a lot of on social media, house price comparisons between London and somewhere else. 

 

Yeah I get that, I worked in a company that had three offices across the south, midlands and the north and yet they paid us the same even though our monthly rent could be £100-£200 more a month. They recently upped the wage by a grand a year which really makes very little difference but it's a start.

[Storts]

21 minutes ago, Stan said:

i'll send you my missus' number. Sometimes the same message from someone else makes it hit home  

I'll take it too if that's alright

[Storts]

7 minutes ago, Danny said:

Yeah I get that, I worked in a company that had three offices across the south, midlands and the north and yet they paid us the same even though our monthly rent could be £100-£200 more a month. They recently upped the wage by a grand a year which really makes very little difference but it's a start.

Most places I know have a 4k London rate on top of salary

[Carnivore Chris]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

 

Interesting! I work in the Housing sector so can see what you're saying! I didn't know it was as bad as you say though - it's all build, build, build in the company I'm in. Most of the area I work in is all social housing, there's no new-builds at all so I don't get to see what that 'journey' from foundation to brand new house is on a regular basis. All our new-builds I've seen look amazing though . Maybe that's just because I see derelict and worn down houses everyday!

 

That's the problem mate, they want as many building at once and in reality, a job should take as long as it takes. It's not the fault of tradesman(who are largely good at what they do and are sub contracted to reputable companies), but the owners of these large housing companies who set ridiculously unrealistic deadlines. You aren't going to be unsafe in your new home and have it crumble down on you, but you will certainly be left with a pretty large snagging list a lot of the time

What I don't like about new builds is how characterless and generic they are. All the houses generally look the same inside and don't really have much character about them from the outside either, compared to older houses which are set out much nicer.

It's actually interesting to see so many houses built from start to finish. From the piling all the way up until the snagging and before you know it, they are occupied.

To be honest, this is just one specific company I'm speaking about(although others haven't been much different that I've done work for) and not all companies are as pushy and have the same policies. Healthy and safety, for example is way over the top on some sites, while on others, it only applies when the healthy and safety officers are due on site . I also suppose that once people have lived in these houses for a while and done their own work to them, they will be a lot more unique looking.

 

[Danny]

4 minutes ago, Storts said:

Most places I know have a 4k London rate on top of salary

Was working in Oxfordshire so they were well behind with London weighting. But as it was 20 mins from Oxford, hour from London and Brum and on the Chiltern Mainline it basically got the London treatment with rent prices.

[Stan]

18 minutes ago, Danny said:

I get where you're coming from, you should definitely give the city living a go even if it's temporary at first. It's good to challenge yourself. The Tube is a nightmare, I've mastered Sydney's trains so they don't bother me as much, but then I grew up getting busses in London and they're something else.

Ha don't have the finds mate, just saving and paying as I go.

Tbf I lived on campus for my 3 uni years in London so know all about the intricacies and difficulties of the Tube . I hate it with a passion. As much as I do hate it though, it was always there for me!

2 minutes ago, The Rebel CRS said:

 

That's the problem mate, they want as many building at once and in reality, a job should take as long as it takes. It's not the fault of tradesman(who are largely good at what they do and are sub contracted to reputable companies), but the owners of these large housing companies who set ridiculously unrealistic deadlines. You aren't going to be unsafe in your new home and have it crumble down on you, but you will certainly be left with a pretty large snagging list a lot of the time

What I don't like about new builds is how characterless and generic they are. All the houses generally look the same inside and don't really have much character about them from the outside either, compared to older houses which are set out much nicer.

It's actually interesting to see so many houses built from start to finish. From the piling all the way up until the snagging and before you know it, they are occupied.

To be honest, this is just one specific company I'm speaking about(although others haven't been much different that I've done work for) and not all companies are as pushy and have the same policies. Healthy and safety, for example is way over the top on some sites, while on others, health and safety only applies when the healthy and safety officers are due on site . I also suppose that once people have lived in these houses for a while and done their own work to them, they will be a lot more unique looking.

 

to be fair to them, it's the government setting the unrealistic deadlines and targets to build X amount of houses within a year, which CEOs then have to enforce and make sure targets are met otherwise funding is stripped. Luckily, the Housing Association I work in has a great deal of financial stability and there's enough of a surplus and income should the company fall on hard times (something which will be tested with rent decreases for the next 4 years as well as Universal Credit screwing everything up). 

Many other HAs outside of London don't have that kind of luxury though and are struggling. 

[Bluebird Hewitt]

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/you-need-earn-just-4-13556540

You're welcome. 

[Spike]

The Mrs. and I are shopping around in the Chicagoland area currently, we have to sell our condo in Georgia to move up closer to her family. There is so much to consider: do we rent for a while then buy? Proximity to the city and surrounding neighbourhoods/suburbs, we can't live in a neighbourhood that features gang violence, nor do we particularly want to live in Chicago or too far away from it. We've also decided we don't particularly want to live too close to her mother or family because we don't want to see them everyday. We also have to look at the county, Lake County has huge taxes because of all of the parkland maintenance, Cook is just a stupid county as they implement asinine taxes like the 'Soda Tax', and Dupage is too close to the family. Every other county is is too westward or southward. Do we want another condo or a house? I'd prefer the later but it may not be reasonable at this juncture. Other small things we have to consider are proximity to town centres, stores, parks, etc. A lot to consider in a short span.

[Dr. Gonzo]

On ‎9‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 11:16 AM, Spike said:

The Mrs. and I are shopping around in the Chicagoland area currently, we have to sell our condo in Georgia to move up closer to her family. There is so much to consider: do we rent for a while then buy? Proximity to the city and surrounding neighbourhoods/suburbs, we can't live in a neighbourhood that features gang violence, nor do we particularly want to live in Chicago or too far away from it. We've also decided we don't particularly want to live too close to her mother or family because we don't want to see them everyday. We also have to look at the county, Lake County has huge taxes because of all of the parkland maintenance, Cook is just a stupid county as they implement asinine taxes like the 'Soda Tax', and Dupage is too close to the family. Every other county is is too westward or southward. Do we want another condo or a house? I'd prefer the later but it may not be reasonable at this juncture. Other small things we have to consider are proximity to town centres, stores, parks, etc. A lot to consider in a short span.

Renting v. buying I think comes down to what your monthly mortgage payment would be compared to your monthly rent.

Since I'm officially staying here for the considerable future (and probably getting married within the next 18 months), I've also been looking to buy a place rather than rent a place. Right now there's a few things I'm learning: 1.) holy shit San Diego house prices are insane, I probably should have learned that based off how much my rent has gone up; 2.) your monthly payments can be a lot fucking less on a mortgage rather than what you pay in rent. So my big issue is finding a place where my downpayment will be something I can afford, that isn't a total shithole, and in a neighborhood I'd actually want to live in. So I'm house hunting in a market where the prices just seem to continuously go up and up and up.

I'd prefer to keep living downtown, because I like drinking and downtown is good for that. But there's a few other neighborhoods close by that I wouldn't mind living in. But anywhere not verging on shitty is pretty pricy.

Also, if you can swing it, there's a good argument to be made for keeping your condo in Georgia, renting it out, and renting for a while before buying a new place. Although I don't know how Georgia's housing situation is right now, but right now it's very much a seller's market in San Diego with prices continually going up (rents are increasing at an even greater rate, we've got a housing crisis here as a result of it), so you might be able to get a nice tidy profit. And then you don't have to worry about shitty tenants fucking things up.

Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot about Chicago/the Chicagoland area or the different counties in Illinois to help with the other stuff. I've been to Chicago and I think it's a fucking ace city. And, weirdly, I've been to Elgin, IL because I went to Chicago with a friend who's family is from Elgin. I have no idea what county Elgin is in - or if it's safe - it seemed like a quiet little town though. Surprising amount of Mexicans compared to Chicago though, yet all of their Mexican food was abysmal. I'd fucking love living in Chicago if not for the fact that it's incredibly expensive. His brother lived in Wrigleyville though, which I imagine is totally mental during baseball season, but it was a very cool neighborhood and I was very impressed with Chicago overall. But you know, obviously I wasn't anywhere near the gangbangers in the South Side.

Best of luck with the house hunt though mate!

 

 

 

[Spike]

55 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Renting v. buying I think comes down to what your monthly mortgage payment would be compared to your monthly rent.

Since I'm officially staying here for the considerable future (and probably getting married within the next 18 months), I've also been looking to buy a place rather than rent a place. Right now there's a few things I'm learning: 1.) holy shit San Diego house prices are insane, I probably should have learned that based off how much my rent has gone up; 2.) your monthly payments can be a lot fucking less on a mortgage rather than what you pay in rent. So my big issue is finding a place where my downpayment will be something I can afford, that isn't a total shithole, and in a neighborhood I'd actually want to live in. So I'm house hunting in a market where the prices just seem to continuously go up and up and up.

I'd prefer to keep living downtown, because I like drinking and downtown is good for that. But there's a few other neighborhoods close by that I wouldn't mind living in. But anywhere not verging on shitty is pretty pricy.

Also, if you can swing it, there's a good argument to be made for keeping your condo in Georgia, renting it out, and renting for a while before buying a new place. Although I don't know how Georgia's housing situation is right now, but right now it's very much a seller's market in San Diego with prices continually going up (rents are increasing at an even greater rate, we've got a housing crisis here as a result of it), so you might be able to get a nice tidy profit. And then you don't have to worry about shitty tenants fucking things up.

Unfortunately, I don't know a whole lot about Chicago/the Chicagoland area or the different counties in Illinois to help with the other stuff. I've been to Chicago and I think it's a fucking ace city. And, weirdly, I've been to Elgin, IL because I went to Chicago with a friend who's family is from Elgin. I have no idea what county Elgin is in - or if it's safe - it seemed like a quiet little town though. Surprising amount of Mexicans compared to Chicago though, yet all of their Mexican food was abysmal. I'd fucking love living in Chicago if not for the fact that it's incredibly expensive. His brother lived in Wrigleyville though, which I imagine is totally mental during baseball season, but it was a very cool neighborhood and I was very impressed with Chicago overall. But you know, obviously I wasn't anywhere near the gangbangers in the South Side.

Best of luck with the house hunt though mate!

 

 

 

That is California though. The place to be, the place everyone wants to be, and all the hefty taxes on top of it. Atlanta is on the grow, it has to be the quickest developing city in America right now. I know Gwinnett County has had a ridiculous population surge over the past decade, the same with many other counties. We are selling our condo at tidy profit, not as much as I'd like but regardless more than it was purchased for. However Illinois, Chicago in particular has ridiculous taxes, especially when compared to the GOP dominated South (despite that Atlanta is very blue [for the south]). Much like the south, Chicago has a cult-like following for one party, and it doesn't look like there will be a New York-Guiliani transformation anytime soon. Not that I care about what party rules where, but I abhor when a single party has a monopoly on a region. Maybe, I took some tenets of Budhism to heart through osmosis but I believe there has to be balance, a ying to a yang. I wouldn't mind living in the city for period of time before buying but again, I can't see a permanent future in the city limits as long as the status-quo remains. Taxes keep going up in Chicago and the gangs become a part of the parcel, nothing changes but Rahm Emmanuel is content spending money on 'sanctuary city status' (I'm neutral towards the concept but I don't think it is a priority for a city like Chicago) before cleaning up the turd on his front door. Money is tight enough as it is...

[Danny]

I imagine once I look to buy it might be somewhere like Nottingham. Not quite California 🙈

[Bluewolf]

1 hour ago, Danny said:

I imagine once I look to buy it might be somewhere like Nottingham. Not quite California 🙈

Having spent some time in Notts myself the biggest drawback is transport for getting around. If you don't drive then it can be a bit of a pain in the arse getting from A to B depending on where you decide to live.

Saw some dead cheap properties up there while working ( 100K for a 3 bedroom ) but a lot of them were in the middle of nowhere and they don't have things like Oyster Cards for example that make buses cheaper like they do in London and rail networks are miles apart so there would be a bit of adjusting to do. The other thing is that it tends to be very quiet ( which I found to be nice at times ) but coming from London I did miss the hustle and bustle after a while.

A lot of the builds up there may need a lot of work as a lot of them were built with the mining community in mind so that would need to be taken into consideration as well unless you are planning to be nearer the main towns like Mansfield for example. Did seriously toy with the idea of moving up there at one point with the family but for various family and financial reasons it was a no go in the end.

Did find the people really friendly up there though and they put themselves out to make you feel welcome which was great and do consider it my second home.. 

[Danny]

1 hour ago, Bluewolf said:

Having spent some time in Notts myself the biggest drawback is transport for getting around. If you don't drive then it can be a bit of a pain in the arse getting from A to B depending on where you decide to live.

Saw some dead cheap properties up there while working ( 100K for a 3 bedroom ) but a lot of them were in the middle of nowhere and they don't have things like Oyster Cards for example that make buses cheaper like they do in London and rail networks are miles apart so there would be a bit of adjusting to do. The other thing is that it tends to be very quiet ( which I found to be nice at times ) but coming from London I did miss the hustle and bustle after a while.

A lot of the builds up there may need a lot of work as a lot of them were built with the mining community in mind so that would need to be taken into consideration as well unless you are planning to be nearer the main towns like Mansfield for example. Did seriously toy with the idea of moving up there at one point with the family but for various family and financial reasons it was a no go in the end.

Did find the people really friendly up there though and they put themselves out to make you feel welcome which was great and do consider it my second home.. 

It's a few years till I make that decision yet but I've just been looking in Nottingham itself rather than the towns outside. I plan on driving when I get back anyway, done my time on public transport 😂

But it's all up in the air, I'd like Cardiff personally, the city centre is so nice, probably the best city in the UK after London, but I don't want Welsh kids 🙈.

[Honey Honey]

Have you not thought about getting one of those London deals where you buy 20% of the property, live in it, whilst an offshore tax haven investment portfolio buys the other 80%?

 

[Pig on the Wing]

Just waiting for the paperwork to be finalised on my new house - it's a massive 3 bed Victorian terrace in a 'so-so' part of town that's actually getting a lot of investment in (I grew up there, so it feels like 'home' even though there's the occasional meet up of blacked-out Audis with lads trading suspect packages), brilliant access to the roads in and out, 5 minutes' walk from the main station, which is 20 minutes from Manchester.

I've paid comfortably under six figures. It's a fixer-upper, for sure (re-wire and new heating system before the general decoration stuff), so there's a good chunk of cash set aside for that, but even then, in total, I'll pay the same as what I'd be paying for a pokey, mouldy 1 bedroom flat in nowhere Greater London places like Chingford or South Norwood. 

Stick your £4k London weighting up your arse. Isn't the north wonderful?

[Guest]

The only house I could afford is doll house

[Honey Honey]

Even the Queen can't afford a good location as she built Windsor castle right next to Heathrow 

[Devil-Dick Willie]

Here in Wollongong where I live a decent no frills house is 400-500k. Your working class earners are getting 40-55k a year. The markets a shambles, but finally it looks like the tide will turn soon.

[Harry]

5 minutes ago, Tanksie said:

Here in Wollongong where I live a decent no frills house is 400-500k. Your working class earners are getting 40-55k a year. The markets a shambles, but finally it looks like the tide will turn soon.

What's a shambles? As in had been going up in price unsustainably? Or did prices crash there after the mining boom ended? 

[Devil-Dick Willie]

11 hours ago, Harry said:

What's a shambles? As in had been going up in price unsustainably? Or did prices crash there after the mining boom ended? 

Going up like crazy. No one can afford housing.

[Harry]

Bought a new house today! 😀😁...😅

 

[Toinho]

7 hours ago, Harry said:

Bought a new house today! 😀😁...😅

 

Hey big spender 

[Harry]

29 minutes ago, Anton said:

Hey big spender 

I’m in that honeymoon period of being overjoyed I’ve bought such a sexy house, with it not yet having sunk in what it means for my financial position going forwards for the next 2 decades.

[Honey Honey]

Looks like the set of Neighbours 

[Harry]

4 minutes ago, HoneyNUFC said:

Looks like the set of Neighbours 

Ironically that show is shot in the suburb next to mine.