Pensioners to be encouraged to downsize

Cossy this is ok in theory, however there aren’t the houses to downsize to. We have two single men on our estate in three bed houses. There is one two bed house here. (That’s rented out to a family and is way too small for them btw) We have two bedroom bungalows reserved for the elderly and disabled - only one of these chaps is retired. There’s very few private rents and house prices are extortionate.

Also, for those who say they’ve worked hard etc etc - so have I. I could afford a mortgage in the 80s/90s when I was in quite a menial job. I went to night school and achieved post grad level qualifications to improve myself and my lifestyle and salary - but I can no longer afford to buy a house and am stuck in social housing. And I have worked bloody hard.

The minister first needs to look at the problems caused by multiple home ownership - second and third homes kept solely for weekend use, empty for most of the year. It's skewed the market and created enormous difficulties in many towns and villages. Just because people can afford it, doesn't mean it's right.

PollyTickle - I’d like to see empty town centres, where tumbleweed rolls about, adapted to be flats for the old or young with vibrant life going on below in the form of cafes, bistros, galleries, independent shops. Freeing up suburban housing for families with children to have space.

This seems to be the plan for quite few town centres, since a lot of the national chains have closed their high street shops

StephLP

I completely agree with the minister! We are in the process of moving from a 3 bed detached house and are looking for a modern, easy to heat and clean apartment. That will free up our family home to a young couple already on the property ladder who want room to start a family. This in turn will free up a smaller property for first time buyers. I have family in Australia who live in various retirement villages and they have a very full and varied life. There are shops, a cinema and theatre, golf course, swimming pool and leisure club, restaurants and bars. Lots of different clubs etc and families visiting all the time so always different age groups, young children about. Can't find somewhere quite like this where we are looking but if there was one I'd be quick to move in. We have to look to the future of our family and our planet. There are plenty of houses with bedrooms hardly ever or never used. Such a waste. As for downsizing meaning less belongings - bring it on! We have been decluttering for over a year (think the charity shops are full of our 'things') and still have so much 'stuff' that we don't use/look at/wear/need.

But basically this just means older people swapping places with the people on the bottom rung of the property ladder. It won't free up small new builds and apartments for those still trying to get on the ladder.

The only way that could happen is if elderly people move into purpose built complexes, thus separating themselves from the rest of the community in many ways.

The Government aren't going to frog march you out of your bigger home into a smaller cardboard box. You will have a choice to stay but those of us who do wish to downsize might actually be able to find somewhere and be given breaks to do that in order to offset some of the cost.
We would like to downsize because I look at my mother rattling around in her 6 bedroom house which is now falling apart at the seams because she has long since lost the ability to get it sorted. I don't want to be in the same place in 10 years time where I don't have the energy to start again. I
'd also like the chance to enjoy life without having to worry about a large garden and empty bedrooms to keep clean. If I spend the money on a gardener or cleaner, we won't have enough left over for the other things we want to do.
We have been looking for somewhere for the last 12 months and it is quite difficult to find anywhere that you can buy outright, rather than a life-time ownership, or is suitable for an ageing couple.

I sold my house 2 years ago and moved into a lovely rented house. I will need a care home in a year or two so spending my spare money now.

The costs of moving, especially in the SE are enormous. If they want pensioners to move, they need to give them a stamp duty break. We just spent 10s of thousands on stamp duty, to downsize. We still have a good sized house though, and don't intend to move again.

I am with you OP I like living in a mixed environment with all age groups and have no intention of living in a development full of oldies. There are a few down this road that are now on their own and have lived in their 'homes' for years. I think if they moved it would finish them off but then again I think some of these condescending ministers would be happy if that did happen. We need our 3 bedroom semi. DH and I have separate bedrooms due to his medical aliments, we need the other room for visitors, which is happening this weekend. I look after GC. We have a young dog (which becomes 3 young dogs going mental in the garden when our DC visit) plus 2 cats. DH enjoys his DIY and needs space, I have my hobby space. We need two rooms for TV as we do not have a similar taste in many programmes. If we had to move to suit other people I think I would just curl up and die as I need to be busy. I need to see daily life going on around me and not to look out of a window in my purpose built OAP home looking down on the communal garden at the other OAP sipping tea on the communal bench. Rant over.

Quite right @GinPin. A 39 year old male I know had the cheek to tell his mother (ex-nurse for 40 years) that kids like him hated their parents because they had everything. This upset her for some reason!

Yes well if you actually got a proper job and didn't sponge off your widowed mother, expecting an allowance every month at your age, didn't spend on iPads and £1000 phones you might have your own home too.

Bear in mind he went to the best school in the district, had his university fees paid (no student loan), and got everything he ever wanted, whereas his parents lived in modest circumstances, saved hard for their pension and paid for all this, I'm outraged. To cap it all, with his sister he wants the house put in their names.

Don't think so sunshine.

We moved to a smaller house early in the year. We’d been in our old house for decades. The house was fine but the garden was way too big and becoming a chore.
I’ve settled very well, my husband not so much.He’s a man who likes to be doing something and our new house is all done.He has recently been ill for a few months so it’s good not worrying about garden and house Maintainence.Plus our heating bill is half (maybe not when prices go up!)

I think that most young couples could not afford the larger houses. We downsized five years ago but ended up with a new larger house with a smaller garden.
At present my son lives with me and his 2 children stay during the week and weekends so I need the 4 bedrooms I have and he would have been in a real pickle if I did not have room for him so I will stay where I am for the forseeable future.

How dare someone suggest that I might sell my house and downsize to somewhere smaller…I’m really cross about this.
I will decide when and if I’m going to sell my house and move somewhere else. No government official will do this.

This incenses me, who are they to say that any one person only needs 'X' amount of space around them !!! What about room for hobbies and interests. It is so narrow minded and no-one's business how much land or size house you own to do what you like with. Again, putting people into boxes as if they don't have any life !!!! grrrr.

I've got used to my bungalow now Mincub. Once I realised it was like a caravan, especially with the skylight in the extension, I relaxed.

As has already been said, nobody who owns or privately rents their home is going to be made to move and suggestions that this will lose votes is nonsense IMO. It is possible that there may be a move to encourage people who rent council or HA property to downsize at some point, who knows. What I don’t understand is why anyone would want to stay in a house that is too big for their requirements, too expensive to heat and maintain, with a garden they can no longer look after. I’m very glad to have moved to a house that is the right size for us, well insulated, much cheaper to heat, light and bright, easy to maintain and with a good sized but easily maintained garden. Life is just so much better.

We have quite a large house which used to feel very crowded when our DC we’re at home! We’ve decided that we will only move if it’s necessary for our welfare. We live in such a convenient place. There are shops ( even a small M and S! ) and doctors, dentist, optician etc all within 10 minutes walk. We’re also near trains and buses. One day we may have to give up driving. Very few suitable properties in the area.

I love my quirky 17th century house, built in 1696 as a ‘peasants cottage’…..I would hate to live in a cowboy built new build with a community of old and infirm residents! Love having the space to have my kids back to stay and host family gatherings…. Nanny state in action. Feel really annoyed that having struggled to own a house with the exorbitant interest rates of the past that now I’m accused of cheating young families out of a home!

CP is my local MP! He does nothing for our town just turns up for photo opportunities ? He lives in Lichfield and rattles around in his house. He doesn’t care about us plebs and just doesn’t understand what it’s like to live in the real world.
Sorry for my rant!

The economics of downsizing aren’t great, unless you want to move to a shoe box. By the time you take into account stamp duty, estate agent/solicitors fees and getting the place the way you want it, it’s not worth the effort.
I put my house to good use by doing Airbnb. I can earn £7,500 per annum tax free under the rent a room scheme. That pays for most of the upkeep of the house. It also gives me an interest and I enjoy meeting new people.

We are about to upside so that our children, who live abroad, can come and stay when they need to. My husband has Parkinson's and one day will need care. The larger house means that we have room for live in care, which is still cheaper than the alternative if you won't get any help with the cost of this, which we won't (neither will most other people). This is another Tory vacuous soundbite. Ignore the t#ssers and vote them out as soon as possible.

He can sod off!! I've worked hard all my life to own the home I live in and was also lucky enough to help my daughter and son in law towards deposit on their own home!! Why dhud I sell and downsize to a little scratty place for others to buy my home? No chance!!! Like you, I live in an area of mixed ages and cultures and love it, we all help each other.

I couldn’t agree more. The high interest rates in the 80s and 90s are never mentioned. I too was born in 1957 and have a pathetic teacher’s pension as I was part-time for a long time - even though I paid a lot (10% I think it was latterly) into the scheme. I too stuck at a job putting up with inept managers and bullies when I could have gone back into industry. No childcare in my day meant I was trapped essentially. I love my house, with garden and the room it affords me. When someone builds a comparative bungalow in this area I will be first in the queue but they won’t. They keep building houses that first time buyers couldn’t afford - not social housing which is what is actually needed.

* I meant to say, "not to put too fine a point on it" *

I feel the same - if we upgrade our area, a big chunk of the money will go on a new home and the interest rates won’t provide much income from any balance. Fortunately our house is big enough to let part of it out. So we’re staying put for now.
(And we’re still fit enough to have granddaughters to stay etc so it’s good to have the space.)

As a previous poster says we will spend the money on gardeners and cleaners etc. We worked hard to get the home we have and are staying put until the grim reaper rings the bell.