Spare room changes: 'I won't go quietly'
Discussion
NoNeed said:
Chainguy said:
Deva Link said:
Oakey said:
It's even worse if they're in employment and spend their entire life in social housing. What, they can't raise themselves up over an entire lifetime?
You're just trolling now.
Oakey said:
Perhaps these are things they should have taken into consideration before they decided to have a kid? Me and my girlfriend would like kids, we can't afford it, we certainly wouldn't attempt to if one of us was terminally ill.
You can say that sat there now. Whether it would be the same answer when you are facing death, well that is another question.A girl on my course had a terminal brain tumour - she spent her last months making sure she could call herself a barrister when she died. She passed her exams, and died about 1 month later. I won't say what her mother did.
Oakey said:
I wish I was. I know a couple living in a 3 bed council house, both of them work. He has his own business and even rents a shop ffs!
I think it's less common now, but back in the 70s-80s period, my parents were good friends with a doctor and his wife, a teacher, who lived in council accomodation. Also an insurance broker (they made very good money then apparently) and his wife who had her own business, again spending 20 years in council housing.They lost touch with the first lot when they moved to Poole I think it was, with work, the others when they decided to emigrate to Canada.
I cant even think of how good life must have been with those salaries to play with and so little outgoings. Not something my generation, or any future one if we're being honest, will enjoy.
Deva Link said:
NoNeed said:
Chainguy said:
Deva Link said:
Oakey said:
It's even worse if they're in employment and spend their entire life in social housing. What, they can't raise themselves up over an entire lifetime?
You're just trolling now.Fear of commitment to a mortgage. The level of job uncertainty in 70s-80s Central Scotland was horrendous for those in traditional industries, and it was something that always came up when they talked about it.
Previous experience. They actually bought a house when they were newly married. Father came back from his Christmas Island military deployment however to find it had been compulsory purchased at a knock down price by the local authority as they had plans for the land. Which never happened. 50 years later it still lies fallow.
Deposit amount. As much as a third. Not easy with a young family.
Then, in later years and middle age and apathy sets in, the uncomfortable truths:
Liked getting a newish car every 3 years. Decent cars at that, good spec vw or audi.
Both smoked. Fairly heavily. Both liked eating well. Both liked a good holiday and weekends away during the year, caravanning etc.
Liked their neighbours and immediate community, didn't want to leave that.
Unvarnished truth above. Draw conclusions as you will. I did, and have conducted my life in a very different manner.
back in the day most people who lived in social housing worked - indeed, most early council housing was built specifically with the working man in mind. When the Right to Buy came into effect it was of course the upper working class / lower middle class types that bought their properties and this meant that councils and housing associations were left looking after the very poor and also, generally, the worst stock.
Chainguy said:
Many factors. In no particular order though:
Fear of commitment to a mortgage. The level of job uncertainty in 70s-80s Central Scotland was horrendous for those in traditional industries, and it was something that always came up when they talked about it.
Previous experience. They actually bought a house when they were newly married. Father came back from his Christmas Island military deployment however to find it had been compulsory purchased at a knock down price by the local authority as they had plans for the land. Which never happened. 50 years later it still lies fallow.
Deposit amount. As much as a third. Not easy with a young family.
Then, in later years and middle age and apathy sets in, the uncomfortable truths:
Liked getting a newish car every 3 years. Decent cars at that, good spec vw or audi.
Both smoked. Fairly heavily. Both liked eating well. Both liked a good holiday and weekends away during the year, caravanning etc.
Liked their neighbours and immediate community, didn't want to leave that.
Unvarnished truth above. Draw conclusions as you will. I did, and have conducted my life in a very different manner.
I don't think anyone could criticise much of that - people then did live very much payday to payday. It must have especially knocked their confidence to have actually bought and then been CPO'd. By the time they got to middle age it was probably too late.Fear of commitment to a mortgage. The level of job uncertainty in 70s-80s Central Scotland was horrendous for those in traditional industries, and it was something that always came up when they talked about it.
Previous experience. They actually bought a house when they were newly married. Father came back from his Christmas Island military deployment however to find it had been compulsory purchased at a knock down price by the local authority as they had plans for the land. Which never happened. 50 years later it still lies fallow.
Deposit amount. As much as a third. Not easy with a young family.
Then, in later years and middle age and apathy sets in, the uncomfortable truths:
Liked getting a newish car every 3 years. Decent cars at that, good spec vw or audi.
Both smoked. Fairly heavily. Both liked eating well. Both liked a good holiday and weekends away during the year, caravanning etc.
Liked their neighbours and immediate community, didn't want to leave that.
Unvarnished truth above. Draw conclusions as you will. I did, and have conducted my life in a very different manner.
My parents didn't buy for years - my Dad was in the fire brigade so they got a subsidised house for ten bob a week in 1960 and they said that made buying look bonkers. Several of our neighbours where high ranking officers. Most (including my parents) did eventually buy when the houses transferred to council ownership.
Oakey said:
I wish I was. I know a couple living in a 3 bed council house, both of them work. He has his own business and even rents a shop ffs!
I know of three single adults that live in three or more bed coucil homes, one even had a paying lodger that I bet the council were never told about.Deva Link said:
Oakey said:
It's even worse if they're in employment and spend their entire life in social housing. What, they can't raise themselves up over an entire lifetime?
You're just trolling now.When I was in school, out of my circle of friends only my family and that of a mate were living in private housing, the rest were in social housing. This despite the parents being, amongst others, an owner of two car dealerships, a co-owner of a paint shop, a mechanic (who rallied his own cars at weekends), and more that I can't remember offhand. Not one of them couldn't have afforded to at least rent if not buy their own houses. They were considerably better off because of their council houses than we were because my parents had to struggle to get by.
Even our local mayor lived in a council house.
My mum started off as an assistant in a fruit and veg shop but improved her position by working hard and taking courses so when she retired she was a senior civil servant. I started off stacking shelves in a Co-op but am now a relatively well paid engineer.
Most people can improve themselves and get better paid jobs, but too many won't put the effort in. Why should those of us who did pay for those that are too lazy to bother?
Dixie68 said:
Deva Link said:
Oakey said:
It's even worse if they're in employment and spend their entire life in social housing. What, they can't raise themselves up over an entire lifetime?
You're just trolling now.When I was in school, out of my circle of friends only my family and that of a mate were living in private housing, the rest were in social housing. This despite the parents being, amongst others, an owner of two car dealerships, a co-owner of a paint shop, a mechanic (who rallied his own cars at weekends), and more that I can't remember offhand. Not one of them couldn't have afforded to at least rent if not buy their own houses. They were considerably better off because of their council houses than we were because my parents had to struggle to get by.
Even our local mayor lived in a council house.
My mum started off as an assistant in a fruit and veg shop but improved her position by working hard and taking courses so when she retired she was a senior civil servant. I started off stacking shelves in a Co-op but am now a relatively well paid engineer.
Most people can improve themselves and get better paid jobs, but too many won't put the effort in. Why should those of us who did pay for those that are too lazy to bother?
That's before you tackle the issue of sometimes HUGE disparity in rent costs between housing association and private sector - a bigger problem in some areas than in others.
Dixie68 said:
Why do you think he's trolling? Do you honestly believe that people in social housing couldn't make something better of their lives and at the very least rent privately?
Mostly, yes, they would find it tough to break out. A few years ago we went through a period of very easy credit. Dont know how old you are (where you born in '68 by any chance?) but in the late 70's and 80's it was extremely difficult to get a mortgage and now we're back in a situation where large deposits are required.And what's the point of driving more people into private rented accommodation? Guess what that does?
Dixie68 said:
There would be more than enough housing for those that couldn't if we remove the right from those that can and have.
I don't know whether that's right or wrong - my instinct is that it's wrong, but would be glad to see any evidence to support your assertion.Dixie68 said:
....well paid engineer.
I'm not sure I've ever seen "engineer" and "well paid" in the same sentence before.Deva Link said:
RYH64E said:
Then you don't know many professional engineers.
As opposed to unprofessional engineers?More info here http://www.engc.org.uk/international-activity/inte...
Broccers said:
Wow pretty heartless even for you lot that is.
Hope you never get anything nasty and find out what its all about.
Personally, I think the really heartless thing would be having a child knowing full well when you conceive it that it is going to grow up with only one living parent. Selfishness in the extreme.Hope you never get anything nasty and find out what its all about.
RYH64E said:
Deva Link said:
RYH64E said:
Then you don't know many professional engineers.
As opposed to unprofessional engineers?More info here http://www.engc.org.uk/international-activity/inte...
Deva Link said:
I used to be a sales engineer - does that count?
Almost certainly not, unless for example you were Deva Link BEng (Hons) MIMechE CEng, in which case you would certainly be entitled to call yourself an engineer, even if you were slumming it in sales (as I've done myself, and on occasion still do).Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff