Foxtons are coming - Fact (ED housing market)

[SeanMacGabhann]

How very odd to be away for a few days and come back to so much.... attitude

Haven't read enough posts from DiscoDex to form a true opinion - I think he might have over-egged an initial opinion but the last post seems to suggest a desire to retreat slightly and play a more co-operative approach - but feels he has been burned. Dex, all I would say is that a couple of very fine forum regulars have been in a similar position and have bounced back all the better for it, met with other forumites and generally pretty glad they stuck around so, you know, don't disappear yet

As for the rest of the house-prices-rising-it's-all-good mentality I have re-written that reply 4 times but deleted it - I nearly got sucked in on another thread

[Brendan]

Yeah the house price topic has spiralled as out-of-control as house prices themsleves. There is nothing that can be done. Things will cost what people will pay for them. Bottom line. Foxton or no Foxtons.

The way the buy-to-let market and letting laws are exploiting a growing portion of society is another issue (but not for this thread or right now as my head hurts)

I'm sure nobody has any complaints about more money coming into the area and things being smartened up and I'm sure we all agree that the original cahracter of the area should be respected etc. but I'm not going to hug any of you because I'm an emotionally repressed male who gets uncomfortable when things get too touchy feely. I'm much better at fighting. ;-)

[MadWorld74]

There's no attitude but a bit of banter. No one has been burnt! And everyone bounces back whether they are 'fine' forumities or not.

I am extending a hug/kiss whatever, to any fine forumites who may have been scorched before. I hope it wasn't MD74 that was responsible for the arson!

[bawdy-nan]

I'm bringing up a family in a rented home and I don't feel like a second class citizen.

We have a reasonable landlord who's evidently doing rather well for himself.

I don't expect to be able to own my own house anywhere I wish, but there's a large proportion of ED who do rent (check out the census info). I've lived here for 7 years, beginning as a singleton renter on a reasonable salary. I worked as a freelancer in tha arts (not, before I get forum mugged, as an actor).

Had I not fallen in love and had children perhaps I'd have been able to scrabble up onto the ladder and would now be gleefully rubbing my hands at the equity I'd accumulated. As it is, my financial positions been compromised by having kids and I don't imagine I'll be in a position to buy anywhere for years and, unless there's a shift in the housing market, not in London.

I feel stymied - stuck in renting with very little security other than the good will of our (so far so decent) landlord.

Many years ago we might have been candidates for social housing - earning but on relatively low incomes. These days, of course, thats not likely. Personally, I don't think owning a house is so important. What is important is being able to consider the place you live your home - make improvements, put up shelves, do the garden, redecorate. All of this feels difficult if you have no security of tenure.

Rents do keep rising despite the pirate landlords and the growing buy to let market. If ours keep rising we may have to consider moving.

Our kids attend local nurseries and are about to start school. This a community I've become deeply embedded in and it feels odd to be told that as we're not wealthy enough we should move out.

Perhaps I'm not undrestanding the posts correctly, but do you really want to live in a homogenous community of people with pretty vast wealth?

The national average income is around ?23k.

The fact is that, aside from housing costs, you don't really need that much money to live. You just stop buying stuff. You can eat well and cheaply. There's stacks of free stuff to enjoy in London and children, far from costing masses of cash, enable you to see that "things" matter less than you think.

[MadWorld74]

that was really touching Bawdy_Nan. I have no kids but put my acting career on hold because of falling in love too. I won't be on that elusive property ladder for some time either. But the sinking feeling at not being sure of my longeivity in the flat I rent now does make life very very tough. It makes it worse when the bloody property management company the landlord is with keeps insisting on putting up their 'managed by' boards outside our flat! Advertising to the world that we're not on that 'ladder', making us feel almost like transients.

[snorky]

word!

You dont need the baubles & trinkets of ostentatious wealth - the people who value these baubles - you would probabaly not be in their social sphere much anyway

[MadWorld74]

yes you're right Snorky. I like the fine things in life, but can't have them all the time. I've got my health. Worth more than cash.

[Mark]

MadWorld74 said:

"the property management company... keeps insisting on putting up their 'managed by' boards outside our flat"

There is a company that rates Estate Agents by the number of Sold/Let by signs in an area so it's in their interest to keep these pesky signs up (as well as it being free advertising for them). If a sign's been up for more than 14 days tell the agent to take it down, you don't have to say who you are, just call them and say it's been up for more than 2 weeks and they have to take it down. They'll probably say their board removal people will be round in the next week to remove it but it sometimes gets "overlooked". If they don't take it down tell them about The Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992, read down to:

Class 3 Miscellaneous temporary advertisements

Description. 3A. An advertisement relating to the sale or letting...

Conditions and Limitations.

3A.

(2) No advertisement may be displayed indicating that land or premises have been sold or let, other than by the addition to an existing advertisement of a statement that a sale or letting has been agreed, or that the land or premises have been sold or let, subject to contract.

(3) Any such advertisement shall be removed within 14 days after the sale is completed or a tenancy is granted.

I heartily encourage everyone to ring the number on these signs and request that they be removed.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Brendan]

I have just taken these signs down myself on a few occasions. One made quite good firewood as it happens. Was I not supposed to? oops.

[Mark]

I've taken them down myself too in the past but if you do and the wall/post/thing it's attached to is damaged then you'll get done for criminal damage. Best get the estate agent's people to do it. I've just asked for the one next door to me to be removed, let's see how long they* take to remove it.

* Their name will be revealed when it's removed

[Brendan]

lol. It was the the post thing that became my bbq.

[MadWorld74]

can i ask if it's normal to have these bloody boards up 4 times!!!! in the past 10 months!! they keep appearing, I keep ringing the agents....the last one I wrenched out of the wall myself in a fury. :-S

[MadWorld74]

I've just rung the property agents to complain and vent my anger at these things. Apparantly I'm 'stuck in the system' (tell me about it love) and that's why they keep appearing every few months. I'm going to make a bonfire with it next time, take Brendans lead.

[karter]

Madworld

calm down girl if its not too high , just take it down and leave it outside their office with a note.Simple

[MadWorld74]

can i employ you to be my special board remover, Karter?

I'm a strong lass. I'll rip them boards dowm alright!...and then watch as the wall crumbles onto my feet.....woops.

[Brendan]

I'll bring the ribs and beer Madworld! >:D

[karter]

Madworld, I will bring a long ladder to help you whilst Brendan stuffs his face with ribs.

[Administrator]

Stay on topic please

[MadWorld74]

long ladder? oh my god I'm short but am able to reach the sign that's at street level! Excellent. Lets BBQ on. Lets have a board amnesty and BBQ all the boards in the mile radius of my house. ooohhh look at the pretty flames, aren't they high!

(NB I have no previous criminal convictions and have never been interested in arson)

[MadWorld74]

sorry will stay on topic Mr Admin!!....please no lounging....

[karter]

Ok Madworld, so it was not you that graffited White stuff and somebody has started to graffiti FOXTONS (admin) board too?. I popped my head in foxtons today, they are really ripping it apart.

[Andyng]

DiscoDex

How did you get to the 20k figure for moving house????

[clare]

Just got home and walked past NASTY blue and pink decorated Foxtons car parked outside Appollo video......

[MadWorld74]

Blue and Pink! say not!! I thought they were green and yellow. Oh no, I don't want blue and pink colours on LL.

[DiscoDex]

..........would be a pleasure.

If you were to sell your house in ED for 500k then costs would be as follows:

Stamp Duty - 3% = GBP15,000

Agent Fee - 1.5%-2% +VAT = GBP10,000

Rental Trucks/Removal Co. etc = GBP2,000+

This works out to be at least GBP 27,000..... :)