Today, 3 Squatters get....

Yeah, good job Nichomach. Most people's initial reaction would be 'greedy scrounging bastards' but that's almost certainly not the case. The housing situation in London 30 years ago was almost certainly very different to what it is today; it could well be that the house was derelict when they moved in. I pay an extortionate rent for a tiny one bed flat in London, and I can't see how I'll be able to afford to buy one any time soon. The government's program to build more houses can't start soon enough for me. I'm idly considering building a house myself or something. It irritates me that people a few year older than me, who were able to get on the housing ladder before prices went stupid, own their homes whereas I don't have a chance. My other option is to move abroad; if this country won't allow me to have the chance to own my own house, then maybe I'll take my talents to a country that will:mad:. As a proud Briton it pains me to say that, but I am that angry about the situation.

Rich :¬)

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Originally Posted by Jiff Lemon

You could equally argue the case for "who the heck let them do this?"

Some scrouger sits in my house and I'd have them out in 30 seconds, not 30 years.

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Agreed mate.
If people couldnt get law the law to move some, i'd get a few mates

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Originally Posted by Rave

I pay an extortionate rent for a tiny one bed flat in London, and I can't see how I'll be able to afford to buy one any time soon. The government's program to build more houses can't start soon enough for me. I'm idly considering building a house myself or something. It irritates me that people a few year older than me, who were able to get on the housing ladder before prices went stupid, own their homes whereas I don't have a chance. My other option is to move abroad; if this country won't allow me to have the chance to own my own house, then maybe I'll take my talents to a country that will:mad:.

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Exactly; modern day Rachmanns squeeze the last few drops of blood out of the lending market, closing off the bottom rungs of the property ladder. The biggest buyers in the "starter homes" bracket now aren't people buying houses to live in, they're people buying multiple properties as buy-to-let. It inflates prices in that bracket and stops people like you buying houses except at absolutely stupidly high levels of credit gearing, and thats if you can get them at all. People bemoan the lack of affordable housing, but conveniently forget that the great and wise British public eagerly caused the problem by amongst other things voting for "right-to-buy", the net result of which was that affordable council housing HAD to be sold off, and the councils couldn't even use the proceeds to replace the sold off stock. By law. Talk about chickens coming home to roost, eh?

Its sheer greed that has driven the price of houses to the level it is. I can't wait for it all to come tumbling down.

And it will ;)

House prices: Blame estate agents, they constantly reclassify shyte areas as desirable and they constantly raise prices. These unqualified leeches actually dictate prices, to a degree, which is wrong.

Squatters? Depends, dunnit? There's squatters and squatters. If some people have maintained a property for that length of time when the owner couldn't be arsed with it, it's maybe for the better.

Can't help feeling a little jealous though, which is perhaps the overriding feeling expressed here ;)

Apparently it was a council property.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...ekingx_203.jpg

Full story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/3599889.stm

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Originally Posted by nichomach

Exactly; modern day Rachmanns squeeze the last few drops of blood out of the lending market, closing off the bottom rungs of the property ladder. The biggest buyers in the "starter homes" bracket now aren't people buying houses to live in, they're people buying multiple properties as buy-to-let. It inflates prices in that bracket and stops people like you buying houses except at absolutely stupidly high levels of credit gearing, and thats if you can get them at all.

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I should make it clear that my landlord actually bought the flat for himself, but is letting it out while he works abroad. Still, he charges the going rate, and the going rate is extortionate. I can't even blame people for buying houses to let, it's a legal, and so far easy way of making money, but the government should step in and regulate it now it's got so out of control.

I'm hoping that there's a correction in the market, but it's so far a long time coming, and there's no significant indicators that we're heading for an economic slowdown. While I was thinking about this on the train home, I realised that I'd almost certainly benefit hugely if there's a recession. I'm a civil servant, so my job should be safe whatever happens, and if there's a recession and a lot of people lose their jobs, house prices will probably tank and I'll be in a good position to buy. What kind of state has the country got into when many of its citizens have no incentive to keep the economy going, and every incentive to withdraw from it as much as they can?:rolleyes: I'm going to be living as frugally as possible for a while, that's for sure.

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People bemoan the lack of affordable housing, but conveniently forget that the great and wise British public eagerly caused the problem by amongst other things voting for "right-to-buy", the net result of which was that affordable council housing HAD to be sold off, and the councils couldn't even use the proceeds to replace the sold off stock. By law. Talk about chickens coming home to roost, eh?

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Hehe. Well, I was a month too young to vote in the '97 general election, so I can hardly be blamed for Thatcherism now can I?;) Most of the people who took advantage of their right to buy are probably still sitting pretty now, a situation they'll be happy with until it's time for their kids to move out:).

Rich :¬)

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Originally Posted by Pantheous

Apparently it was a council property.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...ekingx_203.jpg

Full story here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/3599889.stm

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GOOD FIND Pantheous....and welcome to Hexus, home of the riotous squabble :)